As advances in medical research and technology have improved the ability of the medical profession to diagnose and treat a wide variety of illnesses and injuries, life spans have increased and overall health has improved. Yet, over the past few decades there has been a steady and significant increase in the rate of serious infections.

"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why has there been a steady, significant increase in the rate of serious infections, even though advances in medical research and technology have improved the ability to diagnose and treat a wide variety of illnesses, which has increase life spans and overall health?

Objective
The correct answer should tell us about something has changed over time in a way that could lead to a higher rate of infections today compared to the past.

A
It remains true that doctors sometimes prescribe ineffective medications due to misdiagnosis.
This doesn’t suggest anything has changed over time. Even if ineffective medications somehow lead to infections, we have no reason to think this tendency to prescribe ineffective medications has increased over time.
B
Life spans have increased precisely because overall health has improved.
But why might people have a higher rate of serious infections today despite better health? This answer doesn’t help answer that question.
C
The vast majority of serious infections are now curable, although many require hospitalization.
If most serious infections are now curable, why is the rate of serious infection going up? This answer makes the discrepancy more difficult to explain.
D
As a population increases in size, there is a directly proportional increase in the number of serious infections.
A proportional increase in the number of infections doesn’t change the rate of infection in the population. Rate of infection involves a measure of number of infections divided by the population. The stimulus says the rate of serious infection has increased.
E
Modern treatments for many otherwise fatal illnesses increase the patient’s susceptibility to infection.
This is a reason the rate of serious infection might be higher today despite the increase in life span and overall health. Modern treatments, as they are used in a higher proportion of people over time, increases susceptibility to infection, leading to a higher rate of infection.

27 comments

Medical school professor: Most malpractice suits arise out of patients’ perceptions that their doctors are acting negligently or carelessly. Many doctors now regard medicine as a science rather than an art, and are less compassionate as a result. Harried doctors sometimes treat patients rudely, discourage them from asking questions, or patronize them. Lawsuits could be avoided if doctors learned to listen better to patients. Unfortunately, certain economic incentives encourage doctors to treat patients rudely.

Summary

A Medical School Professor explains that most malpractice suits arise because patients believe their doctor is acting negligently or carelessly. Many doctors are less compassionate now because they view medicine as a science. If doctors learned to listen to their patients better, lawsuits could be avoided. However, economic incentives encourage doctors to be rude.

Strongly Supported Conclusions

Some economic incentives result in lawsuits against doctors

Doctors could reduce the amount of lawsuits they face by being better listeners

A
Economic incentives to treat patients rudely are the main cause of doctors being sued for malpractice.

This is too strong to support. The stimulus says that economic incentives are *a* factor, but nothing says it is the *sole* factor

B
The economic incentives in the health care system encourage doctors to regard medicine as a science rather than as an art.

The stimulus only says that economic incentives encourage doctors to treat their patients rudely. The fact that doctors view medicine as a science is an independent factor (they do not impact each other)

C
Malpractice suits brought against doctors are, for the most part, unjustified.

This is too strong to support. The stimulus does not say anything about whether or not malpractice suits are justified.

D
The scientific outlook in medicine should be replaced by an entirely different approach to medicine.

This is far too strong to support. You need to make a bunch of unwarranted assumptions about the author’s POV to make this work.

E
Doctors foster, by their actions, the perception that they do not really care about their patients.

The stimulus says that many doctors view medicine as a science rather than an art, which makes them less compassionate. Thus, this statement is easily supported.


28 comments

An additional note to (D)

The reasoning Quick Silver gave below is correct. The bigger flaw in the argument is that they were surveying people who already bought video conferencing equipment. If they already bought video conferencing equipment, then presumably they needed video conferencing equipment. That's like saying most people could use a nice new set of golf clubs because we survey people who already owned golf clubs and they said it was a great purchase.


15 comments