Unneeded Medical Tests: Is It Time to Just Say No?

Nine medical societies, in a campaign dubbed Choosing Wisely, have identified 45 common medical tests and procedures that they are encouraging doctors to use less often, and patients to demand less often. The societies say these tests are frequently unnecessary and can, in some cases, cause more harm than good. 

Some health experts estimate that overprescribed tests, procedures and treatments cost up to $250 billion every year. They range from EKGs, MRIs and brain scans to Pap smears, bone scans and the overuse of some antibiotics and cancer drugs.

Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms

Editor’s note: This is Part II of a guest series written by legendary Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures. In Part I, he laid the groundwork by describing how artificial intelligence is a combination of human and computer capabilities. In Part III, he will talk about how technology will sweep through education.

I was asked about a year ago at a talk about energy what I was doing about the other large social problems, namely health care and education. Surprised, I flippantly responded that the best solution was to get rid of doctors and teachers and let your computers do the work, 24/7 and with consistent quality.

Later, I got to cogitating about what I had said and why, and how embarrassingly wrong that might be. But the more I think about it the more I feel my gut reaction was probably right. The beginnings of “Doctor Algorithm” or Dr. A for short, most likely (and that does not mean “certainly” or “maybe”) will be much criticized. We’ll see all sorts of press wisdom decrying “they don’t work” or “look at all the silly things they come up with.” But Dr A. will get better and better and will go from providing “bionic assistance” to second opinions to assisting doctors to providing first opinions and as referral computers (with complete and accurate synopses and all possible hypotheses of the hardest cases) to the best 20% of the human breed doctors. And who knows what will happen beyond that?

As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All

Smartphones and tablets are transforming the future of health care. Can we really trust them to save lives?