Benefits Versus Risks

Posted by Anthony Lee Aug 30, 2008

Medicine is an imperfect science. If all medical tests and treatments are supposed to be completely free of side effects and do their job every single time, then healthcare would not be allowed to exist. Yet, we do have many things available to us from the field of medicine. That's because the rule that physicians follow isn't absolute but reasonable. Basically, tests and treatments can be used if their benefits outweigh their risks.

It applies to a test or treatment receiving approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or other regulatory body. It also applies to the individual level between a doctor and a patient. If, let's say, the patient had a condition that would lower the benefit and/or increase the risk of a test or treatment, then the doctor might not consider that option. This is why medicine is always an individualized service.

By knowing this clinical rule of thumb, things can make a lot more sense. One can understand why drugs may be prescribed despite a long list of side effects, even though they are, for the most part, uncommon. It can also explain why someone else could benefit from a test or treatment but another person might not. Remember, medicine is an imperfect science whose application to healing is tailored to each individual.