A recent Kaiser Health News article noted http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org * noted “Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen… called on 20 hospital systems to stop partnering with companies that offer low-cost screenings for heart disease and stroke risk, saying the promotions are “unethical” and the exams are more likely to do harm than good.”
“In recent years, more hospitals have paired with firms offering such testing packages, partly to build community goodwill and referrals. Hospitals say residents benefit from the testing packages, which can cost less than $150, because some will discover they are at higher risk for heart problems or stroke early enough to take steps to reduce their risks.”
“But some medical groups and consumer advocates object to the programs, saying they are a waste of money for most consumers. Public Citizen argues “the promotions rely on fear mongering and erroneously suggest that for most adults in the general population, these screening tests are useful in the prevention of several potentially life-threatening cardiovascular illnesses.”
“The programs are advertised on websites, in newspapers or through direct mail. Screenings — often performed in specially equipped buses — include ultrasound tests for blockages of the carotid artery and weak spots in the abdominal aorta, a resting electrocardiogram, or EKG, a test of elasticity of the arteries and another for blockages in arteries serving the legs, a condition called peripheral arterial disease.”
* to read the full KHN article “Consumer Group Urges Hospitals To Stop Promoting Questionable Screenings” by Julie Appleby, highlight and click on open hyperlink http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2014/06/consumer-group-urges-hospitals-to-stop-promoting-questionable-screenings/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=13246999&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9pdXgbbPb_pOmlb4popXMBpAN1RlDI45MdVvhHF3zs2xA8jgR333FrMZR4A6IuJ5L5fUWP4woDmEa9CqI161j68eKMm3YI5jidZbwolwauszMaExI&_hsmi=13246999
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Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.
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