SILLY STORY OF THE DAY

Doctors ignoring guidelines, study says (JANET McCONNAUGHEY, 6/25/2003, The Associated Press)

Doctors fail to take nearly half the recommended steps for treating common illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes, suggesting that health care in the United States isn't nearly as good as many people thought, researchers say.

Treatment guidelines, many written by medical specialty organizations, outline recommended approaches to many common ailments, ranging from painkillers and exercise for arthritis to surgery for breast cancer.

However, the guidelines are often ignored, indicating that even people who have good insurance and doctors they like don't always get the best care, said Elizabeth McGlynn, a researcher with the Rand Corp. think-tank who led a study published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. [...]

The report, based on a review of medical records for 6,712 people in 12 cities, looked only at how often their doctors followed the rules, not whether they suffered any ill effects from the lapses.

This is absurd. The most brilliant ploy that unions use as a weapon against employers is following work guidelines. The longshoremen basically shut down the West Coast docks just by doing their jobs the way they are written. You'll note that they did not test the effects of this "deficient" treatment, because they're most likely beneficial. It's certainly more efficient. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 26, 2003 9:46 AM