CBS’ Dr. Jon LaPook covered the report on the nation’s health, delivered yesterday by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. LaPook did a good job driving home the point that more drugs, more imaging, more technology does not necessarily lead to better health outcomes. Two key lines from his story:
“Throwing money at pills and procedures can’t buy good health.”
“To help patients get their money’s worth, doctors need to clearly explain the pros and cons of everything they suggest. And that includes helping then understand that sometimes the best option is … nothing at all.”
I’m also late in applauding Katie Couric’s reports last week on feeding antibiotics to farm animals and questions about how that practice is spawning new drug-resistant bacteria.
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