An interesting editorial from today's BMJ questions the value of choice in medical care. Multiple choices may not be the equivalent of better, for instance;
"In a recent bestselling business book, psychologist Barry Schwartz argues that the amount of choice on offer in life exceeds our ability to effectively exercise that choice, or even to enjoy it. The debilitating effects of choice overload may be bewilderment and high levels of anxiety and stress. When a brush with illness in the United States caused health economist Rhiannon Tudor Edwards to question the value of choice in health care, she concluded that having less choice in health care is a price well worth paying for universal coverage. The UK Public Administration Select Committee wisely advises caution, calling on the government to be more realistic about the role and limitations of choice. The paradox of choice is that more can sometimes mean less. "
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