A medical treatment is a procedure that health care providers use to help patients with a disease or condition. Medical treatments include medicines, therapy and surgery. Some treatments cure diseases, whereas others simply control or lessen symptoms and do not lead to a permanent cure. Medical treatments may be administered in hospitals, doctors’ offices or clinics. The goal of medical treatment is to restore a person to good health and prevent or treat illness.
Medical treatment can be considered to be a right for all people. However, the decision to undergo a medical treatment may be based on many different factors. Some of the most important considerations are a patient’s mental and physical health, as well as his or her ability to make informed decisions. In addition, a patient’s preference and values should be taken into account.
It is generally accepted that a doctor has an obligation to give a patient full and complete information about the benefits and risks of medical treatments. A physician is also obligated to respect a patient’s autonomy, which includes the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment. However, the right to autonomy must be balanced with the principle of nonmaleficence, which directs physicians not to harm patients.
In recent years, it has been estimated that only a quarter or a half of all medical treatments are supported by high-quality evidence. However, this estimate is based on old methods and does not take into account the fact that harms are measured much more rarely than benefits.
Many online resources provide information about healthcare providers and medical treatment options. Websites like ZocDoc, for example, offer a list of doctors with their specialties and experience levels along with their patient ratings and reviews. The site allows users to schedule direct appointments with their chosen doctor. Other online review platforms are also available. These include RealSelf, which verifies that reviewers are genuine patients and allows them to publish reviews anonymously using a pseudonym. Another service, RepuTally, offers a database of healthcare providers that is sorted by area and specialty.
In the context of medical treatment, a “disease” is a statistical abnormality that is considered to require treatment. A disease can be caused by a variety of things, including infections and injury. Infections such as syphilis or smallpox are examples of diseases that were once regarded as wholly untreatable, but modern medicine has provided effective treatments for these and other serious illnesses. For a treatment to be called “medical”, it must have been proven to improve the patient’s quality of life and not cause undue harm. A diagnosis can be made by a doctor or can be self-diagnosed through the use of a self-test. Some types of preventative procedures are not considered to be a form of medical treatment, such as immunizations or flu shots. However, the application of ointments, salves and antiseptics to minor injuries is considered to be a form of treatment. The implantation of prosthetic devices is a form of medical treatment, as are surgical operations.