A treatment is a medical procedure that aims to improve or cure an illness. This can be done with medicine, therapy and sometimes surgery. It can also be preventative, such as vaccinations (tetanus and flu shots) or a yearly mammogram for women. Preventative treatments can be used to prevent diseases such as shingles or cancer by stopping them before they occur. Treatments can also be used to address a specific health issue, such as diabetes or heart disease.
Medical advances have led to many treatments that save lives and ease suffering, including antibiotics, vaccines, heart valve replacements, and joint replacements. But success can breed over-confidence in medicine, encouraging doctors and drug companies to extend the use of treatments to people who are not clearly at risk. The old adage that to a person with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail can be applied to medicine, as we are inclined to label more and more people as diabetic or hypertensive and recommend expensive tests for everyone who has slightly abnormal readings.
Often doctors make treatment decisions without the patient’s input or by taking into account only their own experience and that of their colleagues. However, this is no longer acceptable in the modern healthcare system, where doctors and patients work together in a process called shared decision making. Doctors present the evidence about different treatment options and explain how those recommendations meet the patient’s goals and values. They also help the patient explore alternative treatments and discuss their risks and benefits.
The patient then makes a treatment plan with their doctor that addresses the issues and their preferences. Treatments can include medications, physical or behavioral therapies, and surgical procedures. For example, the doctor might prescribe a drug for depression or advise the patient to go on a diet and exercise program to treat obesity. Surgery may be recommended to repair damage from injury or congenital malfunctions. For instance, a surgeon might remove part of the stomach to correct an overgrowth of tissue.
Non-surgical therapeutic procedures include ointments, salves, and antiseptics for minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes and splinters. Other examples are skin treatments, such as eczema creams or steroid injections to reduce inflammation; dialysis for kidney problems; and lung and airway surgeries, such as bronchoscopies or laparotomies.
If a patient does not get the care they need from their primary doctor, they can go to a specialist on their own or be referred by a friend or family member. If they have insurance, the insurance company will likely recommend a particular hospital or clinic based on its track record for the diagnosis and treatment of that condition. This is because hospitals want to avoid complications that raise their costs, and they seek to establish centers of excellence where they have the best outcomes in certain conditions. The insurance industry also recognizes that a person’s genetic makeup makes them unique and may influence how they develop or respond to a particular disease.