Overtreatment

Red flags to screen for vertebral fracture in patients presenting with low-back pain – Christopher M. Williams et al.

2023-12-01T14:06:58+11:00Back pain, Imaging, Low back pain, Musculoskeletal, Overtreatment, Pain, Publications, Spinal|

Low‐back pain (LBP) is a common condition seen in primary care. A principal aim during a clinical examination is to identify patients with a higher likelihood of underlying serious pathology, such as vertebral fracture, who may require additional investigation and specific treatment. All 'evidence‐based' clinical [...]

Overdiagnosis and too much medicine in a world of crises – Kühlein et al.

2023-11-01T11:20:56+11:00Overdiagnosis, Overtesting, Overtreatment, Publications, Sustainable health care|

Our global medical culture has driven excessive diagnostic testing, overmedicalisation, and overtreatment across many conditions that may harm patients, exhaust healthcare resources, and harm the planet. The authors call upon local, national, and international decision makers to more prominently and openly acknowledge these issues and [...]

Elective spinal surgery in New South Wales adults, 2001–20, by procedure funding type: a cross-sectional study – Tran et al.

2023-11-01T11:10:38+11:00Musculoskeletal, Overtreatment, Publications, Spinal|

Privately funded spinal surgery rates continue to be larger than for publicly funded procedures, and they have also increased more rapidly. These differences may indicate that some privately funded procedures are unnecessary, or that the number of publicly funded procedures does not reflect clinical need.

Screening and diagnostic breast MRI: how do they impact surgical treatment? Insights from the MIPA study – Andrea Cozzi et al

2023-06-28T13:24:42+10:00Breast cancer, Cancer, Imaging, Overdiagnosis, Overtreatment, Publications, Screening, Surgery|

Objectives: To report mastectomy and reoperation rates in women who had breast MRI for screening (S-MRI subgroup) or diagnostic (D-MRI subgroup) purposes, using multivariable analysis for investigating the role of MRI referral/nonreferral and other covariates in driving surgical outcomes.

Factors Influencing Primary Care Practitioners’ Cancer Screening Recommendations for Older Adults: a Systematic Review – Jenna Smith et al

2023-06-27T17:08:38+10:00Breast cancer, Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Overdiagnosis, Overtreatment, Prostate cancer, Publications, Screening, Shared decision making|

Deciding whether it is worthwhile to advise older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) to continue or stop cancer screening is not straightforward for primary care practitioners (PCPs). At a population level, there is evidence that the benefit/harm trade-off of cancer screening becomes less favorable in older adults. The [...]

Evaluating an audit and feedback intervention for reducing overuse of pathology test requesting by Australian general practitioners: protocol for a factorial cluster randomised controlled trial – Denise A O’Connor et al

2023-06-27T17:08:08+10:00Audit and feedback, Low-value care, Overdiagnosis, Overtesting, Overtreatment, Overuse, Publications|

Consistent evidence shows pathology services are overused worldwide and that about one-third of testing is unnecessary. Audit and feedback (AF) is effective for improving care but few trials evaluating AF to reduce pathology test requesting in primary care have been conducted. The aim of this [...]

Should low-risk DCIS lose the cancer label? An evidence review – Tara Ma et al

2023-06-27T17:09:59+10:00Breast cancer, Cancer, Disease labels, Overdiagnosis, Overtreatment, Publications, Screening|

Population mammographic screening for breast cancer has led to large increases in the diagnosis and treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Active surveillance has been proposed as a management strategy for low-risk DCIS to mitigate against potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment. However, clinicians and patients [...]

Considering potential benefits, as well as harms, from the COVID-19 disruption to cancer screening and other healthcare services – Katy JL Bell, et.al

2024-02-11T15:19:44+11:00Breast cancer, Cancer, COVID-19, Low-value care, Overdiagnosis, Overtreatment, Prostate cancer, Publications, Screening|

Since 2020, hundreds of thousands of more deaths than expected have been observed across the globe. Amid the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, current research priorities are to control the spread of infection and minimise loss of life. However, there may be future opportunities to learn [...]

Low-risk prostate lesions: An evidence review to inform discussion on losing the “cancer” label – Caitlin R. Semsarian et al.

2023-03-01T12:28:26+11:00Cancer, Disease labels, Expanding disease definitions, Overdiagnosis, Overtreatment, Prostate cancer, Publications|

This review found robust evidence to inform discussion of possible recalibration of diagnostic thresholds, or use of alternative labels, for low-risk prostate cancer. RCTs and cohort studies demonstrate that active surveillance is a safe option for very low-risk and low-risk prostate cancers, with extremely low [...]

Computed Tomography Angiography for Detection of Pulmonary Embolism in Western Australia Shows Increasing Use with Decreasing Diagnostic Yield – David Youens et al.

2023-03-01T12:29:15+11:00Choosing Wisely, Imaging, Overdiagnosis, Overtesting, Overtreatment, Overuse, Publications|

CTPA use increased from 2005 to 2015 while diagnostic yield amongst ED patients decreased. The PE hospitalization rate also increased, while the outcome of PE mortality remained constant. Although this study cannot prove that overuse occurred, increasing CTPA use with decreasing diagnostic yield suggests an [...]

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