What is the responsibility of health professionals to avoid these problems?
Overdiagnosis has been an issue of concern in modern healthcare systems; different scholars define the term based on their theoretical considerations. The need to ensure a proper definition of overdiagnosis leads to the connection of the issue with overtreatment, over-medicalization, and the act of going beyond the set thresholds of handling patients ( Carter, 2017 ). Some healthcare professionals may also engage in overdiagnosis and medical errors when they classify people with diseases with no symptoms and impacts as sick ( Carter, 2017 ). In such a situation, treatment or diagnosis results in no benefits, leading to discussing moral issues common in bioethics.
Moral Issues in Overdiagnosis and Medical Errors
Healthcare professionals need to always comply with bioethical recommendations that imply the moral practices of the professionals. Focusing on the best patient treatment outcomes is an example of honest recommendations that need to be applicable in the sector ( Mayes, Paradies & Elias, 2021 ). Overdiagnosis and medical errors make it hard for patients to achieve treatment intentions because it leads to the classification of patients without symptoms as sick. The provision of medicines that do not seem necessary may result in patients suffering due to the side effects, which hinders healthcare professionals from guaranteeing the best outcomes. In some situations, the move may introduce vulnerabilities as some patients may lack an understanding of their role in deciding with healthcare providers on their treatment.
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The interactions between patients and healthcare providers are other concerns that require them to involve morality in their practices. When a doctor aims to ensure better lifestyles of patients, a relationship between them and patients will become healthy ( Mayes et al., 2021 ). Overdiagnosis and medical errors may lead to the misunderstanding of a condition, which leads to the introduction of unwanted procedures in patients' lives. Interventions such as chemotherapy may sometimes worsen lifestyles among patients, preventing the relationship between doctors and such patients from deteriorating.
The involvement of fairness and equality in treatment is another recommendation in the healthcare sector that would enable professionals to become ethical ( Mayes et al., 2021) . When screening for diseases, doctors who classify a patient with no symptoms as symptomatic may seem to hinder them from enjoying the moral recommendation of fairness during treatment. The involvement of errors complicates the whole process of guaranteeing equal treatment for fundamental healthcare problems in patients' lives. Solving these moral concerns leads to the understanding of the responsibilities of healthcare professionals.
Avoidance of the Problems
Healthcare professionals have a role in ensuring they reduce treatment errors and avoid overdiagnosis because it contributes to the above-stated moral concerns. Conceptualization overdiagnosis should help professionals understand specific times when they go beyond the existing thresholds of handling patients ( Carter, 2017 ). There is a need for professionals to also involve studies in understanding various medical complications. Research evidence should help promote evidence-based practices among healthcare professionals, guaranteeing equity and fairness ( Carter, 2017 ). The need to focus on symptoms when classifying patients as either sick or healthy leads to the benefits professionals get from reasoning. There should be enough information that makes a healthcare professional doctor decide that a person is sick.
In general, overdiagnosis and medical errors are issues that result in moral concerns. There is a need to guarantee benefits in patients' lives, and this is accomplishable by focusing on best treatment outcomes, making life better, fairness and equality. The classification of patients as sick even when they do not have symptoms is a move that prevents ethics in the sector. There is a need for healthcare professionals to conceptualize these concerns in understanding set thresholds, use evidence, and involve reasoning in establishing the difference between the sick and healthy populations.
References
Carter, S. M. (2017). Overdiagnosis: An important issue that demands rigor and precision: Comment on" medicalization and overdiagnosis: What Society Does to Medicine." International Journal of Health Policy and Management , 6 (10), 611. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5627790/
Mayes, C., Paradies, Y., & Elias, A. (2021). Lead Essay—Institutional racism, whiteness, and the role of critical bioethics. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry , 1-4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11673-021-10103-5
