Wild About Science: On Overdiagnosis

When are you actually sick, and who decides?

Medical technology is becoming increasingly precise, yet the boundaries of what counts as disease are shifting. This can lead to overdiagnosis, where more people are unnecessarily made into patients - without becoming healthier or improving their lives. It is a burden on society and a waste of the healthcare system's scarce resources.

Ph.D. Alexandra Brandt Ryborg Jønsson and professor John Brodersen have written the book "Soon We Are All Patients", which examines overdiagnosis from both a medical and societal perspective. In the lecture, they draw on the book and discuss what overdiagnosis is, why it occurs, and what consequences it has for individuals and society.

Wild About Science is a series of expert lectures at Kvarterhuset, supported by Copenhagen Municipality's libraries and the Amager East Local Committee.