Medicalisation and Overdiagnosis: What Society Does to Medicine

Overview

Journal Int J Health Policy Manag

Specialties Health Services
Public Health

Date 2016 Nov 2

PMID 27801356

Citations 23

Authors

Wieteke van Dijk

Marjan J Faber

Marit A C Tanke

Patrick P T Jeurissen

Gert P Westert

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The concept of overdiagnosis is a dominant topic in medical literature and discussions. In research that targets overdiagnosis, medicalisation is often presented as the societal and individual burden of unnecessary medical expansion. In this way, the focus lies on the influence of medicine on society, neglecting the possible influence of society on medicine. In this perspective, we aim to provide a novel insight into the influence of society and the societal context on medicine, in particularly with regard to medicalisation and overdiagnosis.

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