Too much

It’s time for patients and clinicians to have frank discussions about what diagnostic imaging scans can do for low back pain, and what they cannot, according to research published recently in BMJ Open. Three of the authors, Adrian Traeger, Swee Sharma and Chris Maher, all from the Institute [...]

In the article below, Dr Ray Moynihan explores some of the reasons why tackling the complex problem of too much medicine remains a big priority in the COVID era. This article is published as part of the TOO MUCH of a Good Thing series, which is investigating how to reduce [...]

We hear increasingly about the importance of tackling overtreatment, but less often about how overtreatment plays out in the lives of patients and their families. In the article below, Brooke Nickel describes how the use of the word ‘cancer’ can lead to so many issues [...]

We all understand the role of clinical trials in testing new medicines but many people would  be surprised to find out that there are different regulatory processes in place for the introduction of new medical devices and surgical techniques and procedures. This can mean that [...]

Many GPs who in 2018 received Health Department letters regarding their opioid prescribing criticised the strategy to stem over-prescribing, saying it unfairly targeted doctors who had legitimate reasons to prescribe opioids, such as those working in palliative care. The appropriateness of these letters is now being looked [...]

We hear increasingly about the importance of tackling overtreatment, but less often about how overtreatment plays out in the lives of patients and their families. In the article below, Associate Professor Magnolia Cardona introduces us to “Walter”, a fictitious character whose story is typical of many older [...]

A groundbreaking new study is examining how the media globally report on the benefits and harms of tests for healthy people. Dr Mary O’Keeffe, from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, writes below that the findings are likely to shed new light on [...]

One of the four areas of focus for development of the new National Preventive Health Strategy is “current and emerging opportunities in cancer and chronic disease population screening”, and Health Minister Greg Hunt has sought advice on whether a lung cancer screening program should be introduced. It is timely [...]