Patients over-estimate benefits and under-estimate harms of treatment

If we knew more, would we opt for different kinds and amounts of health care? Despite the existence of metrics to help patients appreciate benefits and harms, Austin Frakt and Aaron Carroll write in The Incidental Economist that a new review suggests that our expectations are not consistent with the facts.  Most patients over-estimate the benefits of medical treatments and under-estimate the harms – and because of that, they use more care.  The full article can be read here.