By Brian L. Grant MD

This article on doing no-thing is the best medical article I have read in some time. Properly applied, this technique would do more to solve our health care crisis than all the PPO discounts, new drugs, payment reforms or other interventions and improvements to our system. Doing no-thing, properly applied would reduce prescriptions of unnecessary harmful drugs, surgery, diagnostics, and more. So much of health care is not necessary. Sometimes this can only be learned in hindsight, but often it is obvious from the start.

Doing nothing is perhaps a bit of a misnomer. The act of listening, empathizing and caring – when active interventions are not of benefit to the patient.

The comments on this article are well worth a read. Some are highly critical of the author and others are most supportive. Read more…