Medical Wisdom Project

Asking Medically Wise Questions

Medical wisdom comes from knowledge of the most common ways people get caught in medical harm today. But medical wisdom also comes from having the right analytical tools at your disposal—insightful questions. This site aspires to help you with both aspects so here are some questions that may be helpful in sorting out what to do in a medical decision making situation.

Is the primary goal of this medication or procedure to relieve a symptom? Do we know anything about the underlying cause of this symptom?

Symptomatic treatment, if clearly and honestly defined and labeled, is today’s dominant modality. It carries many risks.

Is this a recommendation for treatment of indefinite length?

Over half of all Americans over fifty are on long-term medications. The risk/benefit equations are not widely known. This guide will help.

Is this condition causing me symptoms, or was it diagnosed solely through lab results?

Lab results with no symptoms usually mean one of two things—they may be valuable indicators of disease, or they can be unwise paths to permanent patienthood. It’s your job to discern which.

Is this finding related to the reason for which I saw my doctor or had this test—or is it a completely incidental finding?

“Incidentalomas” from high-tech scans present us with an array of choices in which a fortunate few have been saved from serious consequences, but many have been overtreated and harmed.

Is the fear factor getting in the way of my rational decision-making process?

Fear shuts down the sober investigation process and sometimes leads to harm and regret later.

Has my personal risk of disease or an adverse event been explained to me in relative risk terms or in absolute risk terms?

Medical marketing couldn’t get along without relative risk today. It’s important to be able to spot a relative risk claim.

Do I feel pressure to make a significant medical decision on the spot?

If you feel pressured, that’s a bad sign. Get another opinion. And not all second opinions are created equal.

These works from highly qualified physicians, researchers, and award- winning journalists are included here because they were helpful to me in becoming medically wise. Each author is a man or woman of courage for telling the truth as they see it. They have my gratitude for helping all of us be wise consumers of medical care.

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