A two-part radio documentary from the ABC (Australian) on the topic of doctor's doing harm:

Facing the evidence - part one
Broadcast 11 September 2006
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthrepo...006/1735075.htm

According to US estimates, only one in two patients receives the healthcare they should receive according to the evidence. One in ten patients receives care that isn't recommended and which is potentially harmful. In the first part of this series about getting health professionals to practice with evidence, Associate Professor Alex Barratt takes a close look at the catastrophic errors that have occurred when evidence has been ignored, and why evidence based practice is still not being implemented in consultation rooms near you.

Facing the Evidence - part two
Broadcast 18 September 2006
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthrepo...006/1740986.htm

In part two of Facing the Evidence patient advocates argue that we all have a role in supporting the change to evidence based health care, so we get the care we need and we don't get treatment that's useless or dangerous. Patient advocates explain how to ask your doctor or health professional for evidence about your proposed treatment.


If you'd like the audio version instead, just send me a PM.

Emma

A couple of comments jumped out at me:


Posted below are links to a very interesting three part ABC (Australian) radio documentary that looks at cancer screening and sheds some light on the above quotes - maybe is would be better not to be screened ... and some cancers are not necessarily going to spread or kill you.


Cancer Screening - Benefits and Harms, Part One - broadcast 22 August 2005
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthrepo...005/1440410.htm

Most people would say that screening to find cancer early is a good idea. Well, maybe not so good. It could be that finding small cancers earlier and earlier is doing more harm than good. According to Professor Gilbert Welch from Darmouth Medical School, New Hampshire, USA, cancer screening is a two edged sword with important harms as well as benefits. This is part one of a special three part series which looks at how screening can unearth cancers you'd rather not know about, as well as other drawbacks of cancer screening.

Cancer Screening: Benefits and Harms, Part Two - broadcast 29 August 2005
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthrepo...005/1448065.htm

Part two of this series looks at what might be done to minimise the impact of the downside of screening.

Cancer Screening, Benefits and Harms - Part Three - broadcast 5 September 2005
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthrepo...005/1450132.htm

The final part of this series looks at forces driving cancer screening and at some new and interesting ideas about how people might make their own decision about which cancers, if any, they want to be screened for.


There's also a lot of interesting links in the "Further Information" section of each webpage.

I hope someone else finds this all as fascinating as I did when I listened to it.

As with the previous post, if you'd prefer to hear the original radio programs rather than read the transcripts, just send me a PM.

Emma

Hmmmmm maybe I should go to a vet! ROFL

EmmaB, thanks for the info. I cut and pasted it into email and sent it to myself to read later.

You could do worse....