Overdiagnosis: Has Modern Medicine Gone Too Far?

NHS consultant neurologist Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan argues that a range of medical conditions from autism to ADHD are now overdiagnosed, which is completely redefining how we think about sickness and disease. In a new book The Age of Diagnosis; Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far, she explains why she believes that creating large numbers of new diagnoses, carries risks for both our mental and physical wellbeing and can turn healthy people into patients. Suzanne is convinced that we should be cautious about having unnecessary medical tests and investigations that may cause more harm than good. And she reveals, perhaps surprisingly, that apart from a small benefit for large bowel cancer, cancer screening has not been shown to have an impact on all cause mortality. Suggesting that although we may be finding cancer earlier, we are not necessarily saving lives. The Age of Diagnosis; Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far by Suzanne O'Sullivan is published by Hodder. The host of the podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director.  You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/ What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/

Om Podcasten

Finalist in the recent 2024 Independent Podcast Awards, this fortnightly podcast reveals the stories from the world of medicine that others don’t, won’t or only very partially report. Aimed at both doctors and the public, it’s hosted by award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer Liz Tucker, who reports not just on the science but on the finance and money that can impact it. Liz asks what does the medical data actually tell us and why is this often interpreted and presented very differently? How do we know what information to trust and when should we ask our GP, but what’s the evidence? Follow Liz on Twitter at @lizctucker And on Substack on https://liztucker.substack.com Podcast Website: https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/