Doctor Doctor Give Me the News…

So I wrote this story just published in a magazine about a series of trips to medical offices that resulted in my discovering that a.) I had asthma and b.) I’m allergic to darn near everything. I was inspired to write the story because somebody said it sounded like “overtetsting” to her. But not a single test in my story falls in the disreputable category (bottom), so I am very grateful to my doc!

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Medical tests can be an inconvenient part of life, but their value—keeping us healthy—is priceless. According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which was founded and is funded by the federal government, screening for these conditions is effective and highly recommended:

Cervical cancer
USPSTF recommends women aged 65 and under be screened. Pap smears should be carried out at least every three years.
Colorectal cancer
The USPSTF supports several screening methods, including periodic fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) sigmoidoscopy (a procedure involving a flexible viewing tube through which the doctor sees the colon’s inner walls) alone or in combination with FOBT.
High blood pressure
The American Heart Association recommends screening for high blood pressure every 2 years, and USPSTF finds that recommendation to be “prudent.”
Lipid disorders
According to USPSTF, men over 35 and women over 45 who have diabetes, hypertension, or a family history of cardiovascular disease should have their cholesterol tested.
Breast cancer
Women ages 40 or older should get a mammogram every one to two years, and women with an increased risk for breast cancer should be screened early, according to USPSTF.
Osteoporosis
Women 65 and over need routine screening for osteoporosis. Screening should begin at age 60 for women identified as being at increased risk for fractures.

THE SKETCHMO TESTS
If you’re a typical patient, you’re probably unfamiliar with the phrase “fee for service.” According to Consumer Reports magazine, “The vast majority of doctors and hospitals are paid on a piecework basis, [thus] the more services they provide, such as blood tests, surgeries, MRIs, and CT scans, the more money they make. Experts estimate that the nation’s $2 trillion annual health-care tab is one-third to one-half higher than need be, in part because of overuse of expensive treatments and unnecessary care.” According to Consumer Reports the tests below are the most overused:
Whole-body screens
These CT scans, at a cost of $1,000 or more, have no proven benefits for healthy people, according to the FDA. Plus, CT scans expose patients to far more radiation than X- rays.
High-tech angiography
 Using a CT scan to noninvasively check coronary arteries for narrowing costs an average of $450, according to data from HealthMarkets, which sells health and life insurance through subsidiaries in 44 states. But standard angiography is sometimes still needed to confirm blockages that might require aggressive treatment.
High-tech mammography
Using software to flag suspicious breast X-rays would add $550 million a year to national costs if used for all mammograms. A 2007 study found it failed to improve cancer detection rates significantly while resulting in more needless biopsies.
Virtual colonoscopy
A study in 2007 concluded that standard colonoscopy is better at spotting smaller suspicious polyps. While less costly than the standard procedure, virtual colonoscopy isn’t cost-effective because any suspicious finding requires retesting with the real thing.Consumer Reports recommends that you designate one doctor, typically a primary-care physician, to coordinate your care. Also ask which treatments have been shown by research to be best for their given condition. And when tests are performed, ask what the consequences are if the results are positive.