Patients Won't Take Charge of Cutting Costs

What, if anything, can we do to reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful medical testing?

We can start by trying to reduce patient demand for such services. That is an approach taken by the Choosing Wisely campaign, a voluntary effort by medical professionals to reduce wasteful medical care. As part of this effort, professional societies like the American Academy of Family Physicians put together "top 5" lists of wasteful services. Then, in partnership with organizations like Consumer Reports, they've tried to educate the general public about why they should be happy to avoid such services.