When a Medical Test Leads to Another, and Another – The Wall Street Journal

Read article - Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, is quote about a new report that explores the topic of incidental findings—abnormalities that are picked up by happenstance in the course of unrelated imaging tests—and argues that there has been too much overtreatment of some minor medical issues and there is a risk of patient harm. Welch states that radiologists "feel trapped legally" by the fear of malpractice suits. "They are only punished for under-diagnosing, not over-diagnosing, so they throw it back to the clinician," says Welch, who was not involved in the research.