Is it quicker and easier to prescribe a medicine or book a patient for surgery?

As part of defensive practice, many doctors intervene with surgery or medications – that way they can say that they tried their best.

Surgeries and medicines with limited potential benefit add significantly to the cost of healthcare.

It’s a sad reality of clinical practice where time spent with a patient is a KPI, that it is quicker and easier to prescribe a medicine or book a patient for surgery.

Are many surgical interventions are little better than placebo?

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/23/many-surgical-interventions-are-little-better-than-placebo

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