Doctors Call Out 90 More Unnecessary Medical Tests, Procedures

Doctors, often criticized for ordering up unneeded tests and procedures that harm quality and add to the nation’s tab for medical care, are calling into question scores of tests and medical procedures, “highlighting potentially unnecessary – sometimes harmful – care provided in the U.S.,”  a group working with 25 medical societies said.

Another 90 tests and procedures from 17 medical specialty societies have been released as part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely campaign, an effort put together by Consumer Reports and the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation.  Since the campaign was launched last year, more than 130 tests and procedures have been called into question by 25 medical specialty societies with more than 725,000 member doctors.

The new list includes advice on a range of tests and procedures such as how to treat pregnant women and when to give pap smears to avoiding expensive “echocardiographic images” to assess heart attack risks in otherwise low risk patients.