A medical treatment is an intervention intended to cure, relieve or prevent illness. It may consist of pharmaceutical drugs, surgery and other physical interventions, or it may include less invasive techniques like observation, diet, exercise, acupuncture, balneotherapy and other nonconventional practices. It may also include psychological, social or spiritual support. A patient’s health care provider must carefully weigh the benefits and risks of each option, and a person should consider all the practical issues involved before making any decisions about medical treatment.
Several factors contribute to the rising cost of healthcare. New procedures and cutting-edge equipment often have high price tags, while an aging population and growing numbers of chronic diseases increase demand for medical treatment. Moreover, many governments play a role in healthcare policy, and they are responsible for setting reimbursement rates for healthcare providers. These rates determine how much a patient will pay, and they impact the amount of coverage available to him.
Some medical treatments may cause side effects that are unpleasant, painful or even life-threatening. Doctors must balance these factors when deciding whether to offer a particular treatment, and they must explain all the possible side effects of each option in detail. They must also inform patients about how long the treatment is likely to last, what the cost will be and whether it is covered by insurance.
The goal of medical treatment is to restore the body to health, but determining what constitutes a healthy body is difficult. For example, a minor skin infection is cured by antibiotics, but a more serious cancer might not respond to chemotherapy. A physician must therefore make a value judgment about each case based on his professional training and experience.
Hippocrates advised physicians to avoid treating patients who were “overmastered by their disease,” realizing that in such cases medicine was powerless. Likewise, modern physicians must respect the autonomy of patients who are mentally competent and ensure that surrogates receive adequate information to make decisions on their behalf.
Some people choose not to undergo treatment because they are afraid of the side effects. In this situation, doctors should help them understand that, for example, taking medication to control their blood pressure could significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack, stroke or kidney failure, which are leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In addition, some medical treatments may have positive impacts on a patient’s quality of life, such as preventing depression or reducing anxiety. This factor must be taken into consideration when evaluating the effectiveness of a particular treatment. For example, if an invasive procedure can help prevent or treat the pain of certain chronic conditions, it may be worth the inconvenience and discomfort. Other examples include a colostomy, which can be life-saving in some cases, or an artificial joint replacement, which can greatly improve mobility. These examples show how a treatment’s benefits far outweigh its costs in the right circumstance. In some cases, however, there is no treatment that can reverse a certain health condition, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.