Dangers Of Overtreatment Focus Of March 18 Foundation Forum

Why does the U.S. health care system rank in the bottom third of developed nations, even though we spend twice as much as any other country? According to Shannon Brownlee, senior vice president of the Lown Institute and author of the book, “Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer,” the crux of the problem lies within the doctor-patient relationship. “We have a dysfunctional system in this country that is largely focused on doing more,” Brownlee said. “In our headlong rush to do a lot, fast, we forget about talking to patients  — about what their prospects are, what the treatment options are, what the side effects are . .