7 Assumptions That Lead to Unnecessary Medical Care: How to Achieve More Health with Less Medicine

Anuja Sharma: I really enjoyed the personal account of Dr. Welch and his philosophy on health and well-being. It’s refreshing and insightful. As a doctor, I feel I should have read it a lot earlier.

United States on Nov 02, 2023

Doctor S 457337: These are things you probably will not hear from your doctor but if you care about your health, quality of your life, and your life itself more than you care about the profits of Big Medicine and Big Pharma, you will want to get and read this book. And do your family and friends a favor by recommending this to them.

Using this book I questioned my HMO primary care doc what he would do differently if the results of a bone density scan he was prescribing proved to indicate a problem. When he said "fosamax" I nearly fell off my chair. Having treated me for 3 years for gastrointestinal irritation he's telling me he would prescribe a drug known to cause gastrointestinal irritation among other even more dangerous side effects. Not only that but according to John Lee, MD, the effect of fosamax is not to build new bone but to preserve old bone -- bone which is increasingly likely to fracture as the years wear on.

When I -- courteously -- tried to discuss the risks/benefits of this and 3 other testing procedures being recommended, my not being at any special risk for any of the conditions being tested for, I was told to "find another doctor".

I had anticipated this may...

United States on Jan 18, 2020

Ruy Madsen: Muito bom! Gilbert Welch mantém o mesmo padrão de Overdiagnosed.

Brazil on Aug 28, 2018

Stephen T: Every patient and every doctor should read this book. The author comes across as someone I'd like to have a beer with. Someone who'd give medical advice based on patients' best interests and not increasing profits for him, his colleagues or pharma. If you don't want to be a product on the medical conveyor belt where your best interests might not be a priority, this is well worth reading. The assumption that screening is automatically good or that routine visits to doctors are wise are two ideas I no longer believe.

United Kingdom on Mar 22, 2018

Not born yesterday: If I were president, the very first thing I would do is appoint Dr. Welch as US Surgeon General so he could slay the test pushing, pill popping, money grubbing healthcare monster. Today we are ordered to take tests we don't need for diseases we don't have and subjected to treatments that won't benefit us while we watch our wallets bled dry.

Unfortunately, I can't appoint Dr. Welch as Surgeon General, but I can recommend Less Medicine, More Health, a book that will teach you how to take control of your own healthcare so you can achieve the best health with a minimum of medical intrusion. Reading this book is like sitting down with a well respected, caring and wise physician, which is exactly what Dr. Welch is -- a professor of medicine and public health at Dartmouth Medical School, a doctor who was actually trained by the previous Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop.

I read Dr. Welch's previous book Overdiagnosis, and I have to say that while I loved the first book (and gave it a glowing review on amazon), the second book is even better because it doesn't just tell which medical tests to avoid, it tells you how to approach each interaction with doctors and the...

United States on Nov 08, 2016

Gerigirl: Loved the dialogue and the tone set by the doctor. This is a necessary read for anyone and everyone who thinks that they have to be on hyper alert and screened for any and every medical concern. My worry/hypervigilence meter is now turned way down - to a level of normal awareness. For example: the meter just brings my attention to things, like choose a banana over a snickers bar; driving a little too fast, take my foot off the gas and sit back and relax while driving. My attention is now focused where it should be - on my life outside my body. Oh, and my workout intensity - up several notches and it feels great! Even my sleep is better. My average resting heart rate? at age 55 - it is 53!!!

United States on Feb 03, 2016

Rodrigo Olmos: O livro é excelente, claro e objetivo. Mostra o quanto a medicina invadiu nosso cotidiano. Todo médico e, todo paciente potencial, deveria le-lo!

Brazil on Jan 17, 2016

Amazon Customer: Full disclosure: I'm a doctor. An old one, still in practice though. I teach mindfulness in a medical setting. This is mindful medicine at its best.
This is THE book everyone should read and apply, patients and doctors alike since we are all mortal beings. I love the way Welch articulates and explains complex concepts in a simple (and understandable by everyone) but not simplistic manner.
Have realistic expectations about what medicine can do for you and be AWARE of the dangers : too much medicine might make you sicker sooner than you need !
Read it and bring it to your doctor... He needs it too, probably more than you. You'll have made a BIG difference in everyone's life.
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH DR WELCH for this great book. Don't walk, RUN to get it, and share it. Wise and compulsory reading.

Canada on Nov 24, 2015

Dale Nicoll: Excellent overview and a book that should be read by every health care consumer. I am an older physician and have recommended Welch's books (all of them) to many patients. This provides a more objective approach to the risks and benefits of modern medicine.

Canada on Jul 21, 2015