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Four Corners: Sept 28

Guest reporter Dr Norman Swan reveals how unnecessary medical testing and treatments are strangling the health system.

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On Monday’s Four Corners guest reporter Dr Norman Swan reveals how unnecessary medical testing and treatments are strangling the Australian health system.

A report on the secret network rescuing women and children held captive by ISIS, which was held over due to the Liberal leadership, is still unscheduled.

When we head to the GP most of us assume “the doctor knows best”. But the truth is, many of the scans, tests and procedures ordered by medical practitioners are wasteful, unnecessary and potentially harmful.

“What do you think would be the reaction of the average person in the street if they knew what you knew?”

“Well, I think they’d be quite alarmed.” Health Economist

Healthy people are needlessly being turned into patients with tests and scans leading to treatments which at best have no effect, and at worst, cause harm.

“The surgery doesn’t seem to affect the outcome any more than if you did a pretend surgery.” Leading Clinician

“Patients are receiving care that is sometimes ineffective and sometimes unsafe.” Health Economist

And it’s costing us a fortune:

“You know we’re just wasting hundreds of millions of dollars sending people off for unnecessary tests and exposing them to unnecessary radiation.” Health Researcher

In this special edition of Four Corners, guest reporter Dr Norman Swan reveals the real story behind the malaise in the Australian health system. A malaise driven by waste, rather than a lack of money.

“Increases in health care costs have been driven a little bit by (the) ageing of the population, a little bit by increases in the costs of technologies, but the largest drivers are over diagnosis and over treatment.” Health Researcher

Focussing on four common health complaints — back pain, knee pain, chest pain and prostate testing — Dr Swan shows how the cost to patients and taxpayers is escalating. Analysis by Four Corners found billions of dollars being squandered and more than a hundred inappropriate tests and procedures receiving Medicare rebates.

“We’re headed for a tsunami of over diagnosis.” Health Researcher

And as one interviewee explains , part of the answer lies with the public.

“If people knew that health interventions, tests and treatments were not going to deliver benefit, I think they might make different choices.” Head of medical oversight body

Monday 28th of September at 8.30pm on ABC.

4 Responses

  1. I believe part of the problem is most doctors are unwilling to work with alternative medicine professionals & generally the public health system won’t pay for them eg chiropractors are not covered by Medicare. One of the GP’s i was seeing bluntly stated they thought going to see a chiropractor would be a complete waste of my time & money. Seeing as i had already seen one in the past i went to them & they fixed my nerve problem that the GP couldn’t, perhaps that’s the real reason for the resentment. On the whole i get the feeling most GP’s see them as quacks & charlatans. The GP’s next step was to give me an injection into my spine, a treatment that would not be guaranteed to work & is also risky, no thanks!

  2. I agree with you in the most part, Jason, as I too were fortunate to have a pro-active Gp to guide me to testing and then biopsy which led to cancer diagnosis. I do hope that Swan and 4 c’s won’t do a Catalyst and weigh heavier on the side of not treating; i can’t see them advocating that; but from hearing other men having gone through this, there is wild variance in the quality of advice, treatment and approach. Some Gps may well be so overworked they are outsourcing some of the process to pathology and scans; even if it is not necessarily warranted.

  3. So sorry that my GP “squandered” some of my taxpayer-Medicare money to insist on six-monthly PSA blood tests, then on a biopsy because the readings were borderline, and “just to be sure”. Finding prostate cancer in its early stages meant I’m still alive. The other five in the hospital ward were detected too late, meaning outlook not positive and a much higher cost to Medicare. If Swan’s going to tell men to not have PSA tests then he is being grossly irresponsible.
    “If people knew that health interventions, tests and treatments were not going to deliver benefit, I think they might make different choices.” But, that’s the point. Tests, early detection and treatment that do deliver benefits will be lost, until it’s too late.

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