The president of the medical office suspends precaution

Doctors president Montgomery wants to review screenings

05/25/2014

The medical president Montgomery has spoken out in favor of a review of the early detection examinations offered in Germany. Benefit and risk of the screenings should be examined. Some check-ups may even harm patients.

Question the benefits and risks of the investigations
The medical president Frank Ulrich Montgomery has spoken out in favor of a review of certain examinations for the early detection of diseases. The „Berlin newspaper“ (Saturday) he said: „We need to question the benefits and risks of screening more than before.“ The president of the medical office referred mainly to certain screening programs for cancer detection. Studies would show that the number of deaths from such examinations can only be marginally reduced. In addition, only those who care about their bodies are often reached, says Montgomery.

Established check-ups are not questioned
„What is needed is a scientific analysis of all the statistics available on the check-ups in order to better determine the relationship between benefit and risk.“ However, the medical president added: „The established preventive examinations, especially in the area of ​​pediatric and adolescent medicine, are just as ineligible as the check-up examinations for adults.“ Depending on gender and age, the health insurance companies pay the costs for various screening tests, some of which are controversial. These include "palpation for prostate cancer" and "mammography and skin cancer screenings". Furthermore, there are also many "health check-ups that physicians offer the insured at their own expense" and whose benefits are often questioned by critics.

Approval from the health insurance companies
The GKV-Spitzenverband, the advocacy group of the statutory health insurance companies, agreed: „Nothing is set in stone, and every medical routine should be questioned from time to time“, said spokesman Florian Lanz. This also applies to preventive medical examinations. Previously, the top German physician controller Jürgen Windeler had doubted the purpose of many preventive medical examinations in medical practices. According to scientific criteria, among other things, the palpation of prostate cancer, the regular general check-up and skin cancer screening are questionable, said the head of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. He said back then that patients need to know that it is also about the doctors' economic interests.

Benefit and harm are close together
In addition, the benefits and harm of many of the studies offered are too close to one another, for example due to the radiation exposure or false positive findings. In addition, my experts say that it can lead to misdiagnosis and at worst unnecessary surgery at check-ups. Montgomery also referred to the medical checker: „If science, especially Mr Windeler of the Institute for Quality in Health Care, has doubts about certain mass screenings, then we have to take this seriously.“ The medical president said the patients had a right to be fully informed: „Nowadays such debates can only be conducted in complete transparency and openness.“

Doctors start campaign for skin cancer screening
Only a few days ago made the headline „Doctors: start the skin cancer screening campaign“ the round. Since only a few Germans go to skin cancer screening, the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung has launched a campaign to promote the screening test. Only just over every third German over 35 years use his claim to the screening. „"Skin cancer can be recognized very well and is easily curable in the early stages“, said KBV board member Regina Feldmann. Therefore, the doctors now want to draw attention to this investigation in the waiting rooms with posters and flyers. (Ad)