The term medical treatment is broadly defined as care for an illness or injury that includes a health professional’s assessment and use of procedures, medications, or therapies. It also includes the use of devices, such as diagnostic equipment or X-ray machines, to provide information to help diagnose and treat disease or injury.
Some medical treatments can cure health problems, while others are simply a means of managing them. For example, some patients with diabetes will need insulin for life to manage their condition and keep their blood sugar levels under control. However, the discovery of new medicines is constantly improving the treatments available for health conditions, and it’s possible that a health problem without a cure today may have one in the future.
Many medical treatment procedures have benefits, risks and side effects that need to be carefully considered. If a physician recommends a medical procedure, it is important for the patient to understand these details and ask questions about them. A patient’s doctor can also explain why the procedure is recommended and what its benefits will be.
A patient should also think about the impact a particular treatment option might have on his or her everyday life. For example, will taking a certain medication interfere with a regular activity that is important to the patient? Will a particular treatment option be expensive or not covered by insurance? The patient’s doctors should be able to answer these questions and can work with the patient to find an acceptable treatment plan.
Occasionally, it might be necessary to withhold or withdraw treatment if the health issue is expected to lead to death. The law requires that physicians and other providers obtain the patient’s consent before withholding or withdrawing treatment. However, withholding or withdrawing treatment is not always possible, especially when a person loses decision-making capacity through an accident or illness.
The high cost of health care is a major concern for Americans. In the second half of 2022, reports of people delaying health care because of cost rose to record levels. Young adults and those in lower-income households were the most likely to report that they or a family member had put off medical treatment because of costs.