Overuse and unnecessary care lead to serious patient harms and a cascade of negative consequences. This story describes the overuse behavior of one surgeon to illustrate influences contributing to the problem.
Antibiotic overuse is a long-standing safety concern due to the potential global public health impact of the practice in supporting drug-resistant bacteria. This news article discusses the overprescribing of antibiotics in context of viral disease pandemics.
Second opinions are a strategy for reducing diagnostic or treatment errors. This article outlines reasons why patients seek additional expert opinion when determining a course of action and discusses non-clinical benefits of the practice.
Polypharmacy is a known contributor to adverse drug events in older adults. This story discusses strategies such as brown bag reviews and deprescribing to minimize overprescribing that could contribute to harm.