Warnings for gynecologists about consumer protection

NRW consumer advocates issue warnings to gynecologists

05/24/2012

With almost every gynecologist, it is common practice: By registering for routine cancer screening, patients also receive a list of additional services that they have to pay out of their own pocket. The voluntary health services range from chest ultrasound to bone density measurement. The consumer center NRW has now begun with warnings for gynecologists, which they accuse of unfair profiteering with the fear of cancer.

Ultrasound examination of the ovaries has negative benefit-loss record
The consumer advocates are particularly critical of the ultrasound examination of the ovaries recommended for cancer screening. This would be useless and even have a negative benefit-loss balance, reported Klaus Müller, head of the NRW Consumer Center. On the basis of the investigations of the medical service of the federation of the health insurance companies the assessment of the additional achievement to the cancer precaution took place. By issuing warnings, consumer advocates want the affected gynecologists to refrain from making specific claims for cancer screening. An ultrasound of the ovaries costs between 16 and 31 euros and must be paid by legally insured out of pocket.

Many gynecologists would appear on their website as true sales professionals, report the consumer advocates. Often it should be read that the investigation offers a significantly improved chance to recognize the cancer in time. It is even advertised to be able to diagnose the cancer by ultrasound 70 percent earlier than a palpation. A doctor even campaign with „scientific studies“ as evidence, but he does not list.

Consumer advocate Wolfgang Schuldzinski explains that the consumer center enters new territory with the warnings for doctors: „This is something that doctors do not know yet to be warned by the Consumer Advocate. "In the future, consumer advocates are planning to test other voluntary health services for their benefits, with an annual spend of 1.5 billion euros being spent on these services.

So far, neither the medical association nor the professional and professional association of gynecologists have commented on the warnings.

Aggressive marketing in medical practices unsettles patients
Recently, the SPD parliamentary group introduced an application that should make the provision of individual health services significantly more difficult as patients „in the medical practices partly through aggressive marketing“ to the additional services. Of course, the doctors benefited from the lucrative business. However, individual health services often have no real benefit or advantage for the patients who would have to pay for the additional examinations themselves. In the worst case, even the doctor-patient ratio would lastingly worsen. Therefore, in the opinion of the SPD parliamentary group should be done in the future, a stricter regulation of this performance. (Ag)

Also read:
Health insurance companies want to restrict additional benefits
Which IGeL services really make sense
IGeL services often unnecessary at the doctor
Doctors are selling more and more benefits
Doctors as sellers of additional services
Barely useful additional services at the doctor

Picture: Halina Zaremba