Study Finds Nearly 400 Medical Devices, Procedures And Practices That Are Ineffective

We like to view modern medicine as based on rigorous science, and while it certainly beats the various dangerous alternatives out there, sometimes physicians still end up adopting practices based on little evidence.

When a medical treatment, device or procedure is no better than previous or lesser alternatives, it’s deemed a ‘medical reversal’. These discredited practices are a major barrier to better and cheaper healthcare, but actually identifying them is surprisingly difficult and rarely done.

A recent study, designed to create a more comprehensive list, has unearthed nearly 400 established treatments, devices and procedures that fit this bill.