Problem based learning, litigation, and EWTD contribute to too much medicine

Glasziou and colleagues suggest that investigation should be selective and targeted,1 yet a scattergun approach is increasingly being used across all disciplines. Overdiagnosis thus becomes a direct consequence of over-investigation. From serial measurements of C reactive protein and myeloma screening through to full body scans, a doctor’s approach to the patient is increasingly weighted towards, if not reliant on, investigation, while the value of a …