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Australia is responding to the complex challenge of overdiagnosis
Author(s) -
Moynihan Ray,
Barratt Alexandra L,
Buchbinder Rachelle,
Carter Stacy M,
Dakin Thomas,
Donovan Jan,
Elshaug Adam G,
Glasziou Paul P,
Maher Christopher G,
McCaffery Kirsten J,
Scott Ian A
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja17.01138
Subject(s) - overdiagnosis , sociology , research centre , gold coast , media studies , library science , art history , history , medicine , archaeology , pathology , computer science
verdiagnosis is now a health challenge recognised acrossmany nations. Debates about O its definition continue, but in short, overdiagnosis happens when health systems routinely diagnose people in ways that do not benefit them or that even do more harm than good. Overdiagnosis is unwarranted diagnosis, leading to harms from unnecessary labels and treatments and to the waste of health care resources that could be better spent dealing with genuine needs. To manage overdiagnosis and the sustainability of the health system more broadly, reversing the harm of too much medicine is becoming a health care priority, demanding effective responses in policy and practice. In Australia, a new alliance is developing a national plan to deal with this problem.