Iatrogenic means causing a damage (usually hidden in the long term) resulting from a treatment, in which the benefits are inferior to the consequences. It thus expresses the damage caused by seeking help.
Not treating, when there is no need to do so, is thus as valuable or more valuable than treating or intervening.
So why is the important act of diagnosis of the "no treatment needed" free of charge, or not valued highly enough?
In other words, the diagnosis that leads to the decision not to treat is as important or more important than the diagnosis that leads to the opposite decision. And so it should be equally valued.
"There is an element of falsity associated with (excessive) interventionism, which is accelerated in a professionalised society. It is much easier to sell the idea:
- Look what I did for you
than:
- Look at what I managed to avoid for your benefit.
By living in a bonus system based on "results" it aggravates the problem, especially critical, in the area of health." NNT