Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16012

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Kilo CM, Larson EB.
Exploring the Harmful Effects of Health Care
JAMA 2009 Jul 1; 302:(1):89-91
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/302/1/89

Abstract:

While various forms of harm resulting from health care are well known, the full nature of such harm and the magnitude of health care’s aggregate adverse health effects deserve more exploration. On balance, the data remain imprecise, and the benefits that US health care currently deliver may not outweigh the aggregate health harm it imparts. In this Commentary, we discuss potential harms from health care, suggest a taxonomy for health care harm, and suggest that investigators start addressing this issue.

This concern is raised with great respect for health care professionals. To be sure, ill intent is rare, and many health services are effective. Nonetheless, it is time to address the possibility of net health harm by elucidating more fully aggregate health benefits and harms of current health care. This information should help clinicians, health care leaders, policy experts, and . . .