Overuse of health care services is a subject which has not been studied in detail and therefore merits more research.

"An understanding of the prevalence of overuse of health care services across the U.S. health system is needed to improve health care quality and eliminate waste," the authors note.
Deborah Korenstein, M.D., of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and colleagues reviewed medical literature for studies of overuse of therapeutic procedures, diagnostic tests and medications in the U.S. They identified 172 articles measuring overuse (53 on therapeutic procedures, 38 on diagnostic tests and 81 on medications).
The majority of the studies focused on four interventions: antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections (URI) and three cardiovascular procedures. The researchers note rates of overuse varied among studies and the services studied.
Researchers suggest some overuse has declined over time, including rates for inappropriate carotid endarterectomy (CEA, a procedure to remove carotid artery plaque). They also note that inappropriate antibiotic use for viral URI has generally persisted despite universally accepted guidelines and other interventions, but it appears to have declined over time.
However, the authors note the limited literature on overuse is understandable because of the challenges of developing standards to measure overuse.
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