#undertreatment

New York Times Letter to the Editor Originally published September 3, 2012

To the Editor:

Re “Overtreatment Is Taking a Harmful Toll” (Well, Aug. 28): Undertreatment could be a much bigger problem than overtreatment. Studies by the RAND Institute, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, have found significant underuse of preventive testing and treatment for cervical, breast and colorectal cancer, as well as for H.I.V., heart disease and diabetes. RAND concluded that, on average, Americans receive only 55 percent of recommended preventive care and that underuse of such care was a bigger problem than overuse.

Alan Mertz

Washington

The writer is president, American Clinical Laboratory Association.

♦

To the Editor:

The overwhelming medical care in this country is actually appropriate. By emphasizing the bad experiences of a few, this article may end up suggesting to people that they should not trust their doctors.

Defensive medicine is sometimes practiced for fear of malpractice suits, but this should not be confused with the honest effort of the overwhelming majority of physicians to give their patients the best care possible.

Barry E. Rosenbloom, M.D.