Hope Or Hype: The Obsession with Medical Advances and the High Cost of False Promises

Capa
AMACOM, American Management Association, 2005 - 335 páginas
Annotation Medical science has always promised -- and often delivered -- a longer, better life. But as the pace of science accelerates, do our expectations become unreasonable, fueled by an industry bent on profits and a media desperate for big news?Hope or Hype is a taboo-shattering look at what drives the American obsession with medical "miracles," exposing the equipment manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies; doctors and hospitals too quick to order surgery; the politicians; the press; and our own "technoconsumption" mindset. The authors spread blame for the parade of so-called miracle cures that too often are marginally effective at best -- and sometimes downright dangerous. They examine consumers? eager embrace of medical advances, and present riveting stories of the conscientious doctors and researchers who blew the whistle on ineffective treatments. Finally, they provide sane, practical recommendations for the adoption of new developments. The consequences of questionable practices include costly recalls, billions in wasted money, and the pain and suffering of innumerable patients and their families. In short, they must stop.
 

Índice

Medical Innovations and American Culture
13
Why More Isnt Always Better
27
Why Newer Isnt Always Better
41
Social Hazards
53
Opinion Makers and Regulators
63
What Will You Swallow?
65
Making Friends Playing Monopoly and Dirty Tricks
85
Stacking the Deck?
103
Medical Devices That Disappoint
185
Ineffective or Needlessly Extensive Surgery
199
Weight Loss Technology
217
For Doctors
229
For Insurers and Researchers
241
For All Decision Makers
253
For Government
261
For Consumers
273

00
115
Doctors and Hospitals
127
Mother Teresas Waiting Room
141
Holes in the Safety
153
Popular Treatments That Caused
167
References
291
Index
327
About the Authors 336
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In the Name of Education
Jonas E. Alexis
Pré-visualização limitada - 2007

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