Requests for futile treatments: what mechanisms play a role? Results of a qualitative study among Dutch physicians

Objectives Overtreatment is increasingly seen as a challenge in clinical practice and can lead to unnecessary interventions, poor healthcare outcomes and increasing costs. However, little is known as to what exactly causes overtreatment. In 2015, the Royal Dutch Medical Association (RDMA) attempted to address this problem and distinguished several mechanisms that were thought to drive overtreatment. In 14 qualitative interviews among Dutch physicians, we investigated which mechanisms played a role in decision-making and whether all mechanisms were considered equally important. Design We asked... Mehr ...