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Too many tests? Medical exams you may not need

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    Dr. Marc Siegel sounds off

  • Duration 3:28
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Report back.

It was cold medicine says they're a 135.

Medical procedures that physicians claim are almost always unnecessary.

And could actually do more harm than good.

So which tests are being -- let's ask doctor Marc Siegel he's a member of our Fox News -- -- -- nice to see this good to see guys so.

What tests specifically are people doing here and I've always heard -- look.

More is better right you get more tests we want more information we want to know more about our bodies were armed with information that we can make our own judgment.

Clinton that's the number one medical may have felt more is better and people think and especially parents coming -- an emergency room think.

You know if my kid hurt themselves felt that there have been -- -- -- test that better get a -- scare no that's our number one with we're looking at today.

It turns out that 50% of the kids who come to the ER get a CT -- of the brain.

And you know what.

Most of the time it's totally unnecessary now the American Academy of Neurology says if you blacked out when you hit your head you need to -- -- But otherwise it's a judgment call and a lot of doctors are making the wrong judgment -- they're practicing defensively.

They get pressure to order the tests they're afraid of missing something getting sued.

So they end up ordering too much it's too excessive we have twice as much health care -- here in this country as most other industrialized country this is the main -- It's ridiculous you just suggested that they're afraid of getting -- that there for -- trial lawyers if we had meaningful tort reform and it's been of course resisted by this administration if we had it.

Would that go some distance to solving this problem.

I do I think it would talk because I think it's a culture I think it's a culture of overused it's not that you think of I -- that I'm gonna get sued -- -- you have been in your mind.

-- order way too many -- let's going to some specifics here you mentioned some of the CT scans here's another one that you talk about EKG's for patients without heart symptoms you know happening along this actually.

A little bit of a debate about this.

The American academy friendly practices don't order -- UKG's the American College of Cardiology says to order routinely -- I'm more on the side of ordering them but not over ordering them another words.

I'll do -- KG the first time you come decision I'll -- any -- -- fifteen is going out to play a sport football basketball I wanna have a baseline.

But after that I don't wanna be what I call Medicare mill where a watery one EKG after another every time I see you you know want.

Not only is an unnecessary cost that -- -- talked about it leads to unnecessary ethical -- grams unnecessary stress tests.

You -- know what to do with the result how we that are rededicate Q why are you doing what are you targeting.

If -- patient doesn't have symptoms you better have a very good reason for ordering review you would certainly hope so given that given the cost -- for -- Chara arthritis so that's another example we love them -- you know summarizes the state of the art it's the latest and greatest.

Every year they improve how we do memorized but rheumatoid arthritis to give you an example is an inflammatory arthritis that we know how to track.

By clinical symptoms what your joints look like what you're X -- look like we don't know what to do within MR I result it's beautiful.

But it doesn't change what we prescribe it doesn't change what we prescribes that doctors always have to say.

Just go to all -- my treatment what are we gonna do with these results don't just order.

Cause it's the state of the -- -- -- the don't ask those questions given what and in Kosovo you know what I want patients out there and ask your doctor these questions could they may be thinking differently.

You can challenge them.

Doctor Mark Siegel we will never challenge you you can tell -- -- good -- -- courtesy of.

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