Title: Hope or hype : the obsession with medical advances and the high cost of false promises /
Authors: Deyo, Richard A.; Patrick, Donald L.
Publisher: AMACOM, American Management Association,
Year: 2005
Subjects: Therapeutics economics; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Diffusion of Innovation; Biomedical Technology economics; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Medical innovations United States Evaluation.; Medical technology United States Evaluation.; Medical care Technological innovations United States Evaluation.; Medical care United States Evaluation; Medical innovations Economic aspects United States.; Medical technology United States Cost effectiveness.; Medical care Technological innovations United States Cost effectiveness.; Medical care, Cost of United States; United States; United States
Abstract: "Hope or Hype is a look at what drives the American obsession with medical miracles. Dr. Richard Deyo and Dr. Donald Patrick - both experts on the ethical and policy issues facing the medical community and its constituents - spread the blame for the parade of false promises and compromises, indicting in equal measure the pharmaceutical and equipment companies; the doctors and hospitals too quick to order unnecessary and costly surgeries and medications; the politicians and media all too eager for a signature issue or a good story; and our own relentless demand to be "made healthy."".
Contents: Can there be too much of a good thing? the hazards of uncritically embracing medical advances -- What's the problem? don't we need lifesaving new treatments? -- Medical innovations and American culture: the call of the sirens -- Why more isn't always better: red herrings, side effects, and superbugs -- Why newer isn't always better: unpleasant surprises, recalls, and learning curves -- Social hazards: what we lose by uncritical use of new treatments -- How things really work: opinion makers and regulators of medical advances -- What will you swallow? how drug companies get you to buy more expensive drugs than you may need -- Making friends, playing monopoly, and dirty tricks: other industry strategies -- Stacking the deck? how to get the "right" answer in clinical research -- "Cancer cured--film at 11:00": the media's role in disseminating medical advances -- Doctors and hospitals: fueling the drive for new and more -- Advocacy groups: Mother Teresa's waiting room -- Holes in the safety net: the FDA and the FTC -- Ineffective. inferior or needlessly costly new drugs -- Medical devices that disappoint -- Ineffective or needlessly extensive surgery -- Weight loss technology: shedding pounds from your waistline or your wallet? -- For doctors: evidence-based medicine -- For insurers and researchers: pay now or pay more later -- For all decision makers: getting value for money -- For government: regulatory approaches to improve the dissemination of medical innovations -- For consumers: shared decision making.