Clinicians and patients value thoroughness. However, as new testing and treatment options have multiplied over the past few decades, the desire to leave no stone unturned has had unintended consequences. Patients can be harmed by too much care, just as when they receive too little care. Until recently, the former danger had been largely overlooked. While the exact toll is hard to quantify, nearly every family in the country has been subject to overtesting and overtreatment in some form.
