4 ms·

Most don't have the knowledge to make an informed choice (how many people have enough medical knowledge?) You could say this about anything: camera lenses, fro

Most don't have the knowledge to make an informed choice (how many people have enough medical knowledge?) You could say this about anything: camera lenses, frozen food, airline flights. How much do you really know about how these things operate/are made? Prices externalize that information that allows people to decide whether it’s worth it. Also most people are far smarter (especially when it regards their own bodies) than the assumption you’re making here…

AdrianB1 5y ago
You can buy the wrong DSRL or smartphone, but not take the wrong drugs. Self-medication is one of the top causes of death in some countries, bad purchases of electronic devices or vacations is not.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  Professional medical treatment is estimated to be the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer. Johns Hopkins did a study on it. 250,000 people a year. Nearly 10% of all deaths. A 0.7% chance of dying (from a mistake) per hospital visit. You know why it goes under the radar? Because there is no billing code for f-ups. I realize of course this doesn't mean self-medication is safer; legitimate medical treatment might cause more deaths just because there is more of it. [https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/05/03/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death/ https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/05/03/medical-errors-third-leading-...] "The researchers caution that most medical errors aren't due to inherently bad doctors, and that reporting these errors shouldn't be addressed by punishment or legal action. Rather, they say, most errors represent systemic problems, including poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks, the absence or underuse of safety nets, and other protocols, in addition to unwarranted variation in physician practice patterns that lack accountability."

4 ms·

Most don't have the knowledge to make an informed choice (how many people have enough medical knowledge?) You could say this about anything: camera lenses, fro

by kaczordon 5y ago

AdrianB1 5y ago
You can buy the wrong DSRL or smartphone, but not take the wrong drugs. Self-medication is one of the top causes of death in some countries, bad purchases of electronic devices or vacations is not.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  Professional medical treatment is estimated to be the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer. Johns Hopkins did a study on it. 250,000 people a year. Nearly 10% of all deaths. A 0.7% chance of dying (from a mistake) per hospital visit. You know why it goes under the radar? Because there is no billing code for f-ups. I realize of course this doesn't mean self-medication is safer; legitimate medical treatment might cause more deaths just because there is more of it. [https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/05/03/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death/ https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/05/03/medical-errors-third-leading-...] "The researchers caution that most medical errors aren't due to inherently bad doctors, and that reporting these errors shouldn't be addressed by punishment or legal action. Rather, they say, most errors represent systemic problems, including poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks, the absence or underuse of safety nets, and other protocols, in addition to unwarranted variation in physician practice patterns that lack accountability."