spotlight europe no. 5 2019. Overuse of medical services. Unnecessary medical services can be harmful to patients

Marion Grote Westrick, Marion Grote Westrick and Inga Münch, Inga Münch and Eckhard Volbracht, Eckhard Volbracht (2019) spotlight europe no. 5 2019. Overuse of medical services. Unnecessary medical services can be harmful to patients. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

How is the overuse of medical services defined? The German Advisory Council on the Assessment of Developments in the Healthcare System (SVR) defines the overuse of medical services as treatment that goes beyond the coverage of needs. This refers to medical services that a patient does not need or want, or which entail a possibility of harm that outweighs the possible benefits. In its most recent report (2018), the SVR concludes that medical services are still frequently overused or incorrectly used in Germany, and that significant management deficits persist.

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