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Glite Dictionary
overtreatment

overtreatment

1 5.8
Giving too much medical help that is not needed and can cause harm
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊvərˈtritmənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sobret tratamiento
  • Overtreatment runs the risk of osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation.
  • medical overtreatment
  • reduce overtreatment

And doesn't this set us up for gender differences and maybe gender thresholds that are different might be appropriate for under an overtreatment?

Examples

  • The new asthma guideline from NICE, due for publication in July, aims to formalise the diagnosis of asthma to avoid the risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Overtreatment and overutilization of medical services are almost constant problems in Texas.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Worse still, how much harm do we do to individuals and society through overtreatment?

    Blog text (32)

  • Reducing overtreatment is "the other side of quality improvement."

    Blog text (32)

  • One study even reported a gross overtreatment of malaria in many countries.

    Blog text (17)

  • The New York Times recently highlighted several examples of this epidemic of overtreatment, including:

    Blog text (9)

  • Finally, overtreatment and undertreatment are both big problems in this country.

    Blog text (5)

  • Overtreatment of fibrous dysplasia should be avoided because most patients respond to conservative management.

    Academic text (2006)

  • As most prevalent diseases resolve spontaneously, screening in younger women could lead to unnecessary referrals and possibly overtreatment.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The report emphasizes that overtreatment of patients can lead to unnecessary complications.

Synonyms

overkill
vsovertreatment
  • Informal
40 5.4

Using more than you need so it is unnecessary

involves surplus medical interventions causing harm or being needless
overuse
vsovertreatment
16 3.8

Using something too often so it becomes harmful or less effective

targets giving excess medical care that can harm or is unnecessary

How Much Treatment

overtreatment
  • Specialized
1 5.8
curative treatment
  • Specialized
3.8
nontreatment
  • Specialized
7.8

Surface Forms

overtreatment singular
overtreatments plural

Morphology

overtreatment = treatment (transparent) = over + treat + ment

The prefix 'over-' meaning excessive combines productively with 'treatment' to indicate too much treatment.

Etymology

Overtreatment comes from the part over- meaning 'too much' and the verb treat meaning 'to give care', plus -ment which turns it into a noun. So overtreatment is giving too much treatment or care, often unnecessary and sometimes harmful.