{
  "id": 2765949,
  "title": "Why More Medical Testing Doesn’t Always Make Us Healthier",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/why-more-medical-testing-doesnt-always-make-us-healthier",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-23T10:00:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/08/23/why-more-medical-testing-does-not-always-make-us-healthier/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Medical testing for personal use has become increasingly accessible, with direct-to-consumer imaging tests worth billions of dollars and over 100,000 Americans already customers. However, these tests do not necessarily lead to better health outcomes. Radiologists, who specialize in translating medical data into actionable advice, have long grappled with the question of whether information improves health. The effectiveness of a test depends on its ability to accurately predict or diagnose a condition, leading to a change in mindset and behavior that results in a better outcome than not doing the test. For example, a whole-body MRI of the general public, not recommended by any guidelines, creates information but may not change behaviors or improve outcomes because there is no evidence supporting its effectiveness. In many cases, early diagnosis does not necessarily improve health. For instance, aggressive treatments for small thyroid or kidney masses, despite being common, do not help most people. Diagnostic tests can cause harm even when they do not provide any benefit, resulting in surgical pain, complications, anxiety, and financial burden. The effectiveness of a test also depends on the individual being tested; a test might be more beneficial for high-risk patients with a cancer-causing genetic syndrome than for the general population. The accuracy of a test alone is not enough; the people being tested and their baseline risk are crucial factors. Tests can also lead to unintended harm through actions taken to manage the information produced. As direct-to-consumer testing becomes more common, it is essential to carefully evaluate the claims made by companies and understand the potential benefits and harms of these tests.",
  "summary": "Direct-to-consumer testing will change how medicine is practiced, writes Dr. Matthew S. Davenport.",
  "key_points": [
    "Direct-to-consumer medical tests are increasingly popular but don't always improve health.",
    "Test effectiveness depends on accuracy in predicting/diagnosing conditions and changing behavior.",
    "Diagnostic tests can cause harm through surgical pain, complications, anxiety, and financial burden."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}