Four out of ten Danish healthcare professionals report that unnecessary medical tests are performed regularly, causing resource waste and patient anxiety. Experts estimate that up to 30 percent of medical procedures may offer no real value to patients. This would mean that out of the roughly 140 billion Danish kroner spent annually on healthcare in Denmark in 2024, up to 28 billion kroner could potentially be wasted.
Unnecessary Medical Tests Common in Healthcare in Denmark
Blood tests, MRIs, and cancer screenings are a routine part of Danish healthcare, but many of them may be needless. According to a new survey carried out by national broadcaster DR and four other media outlets, 4 in 10 heads of professional medical societies in Denmark say that unnecessary procedures are taking place within their field.
The survey included 133 associations representing around 210,000 healthcare employees. A total of 90 chairpersons responded, and results show a consistent pattern: over-examination is a problem across a wide range of specialties.
Scans and Blood Tests That Don’t Benefit Patients
Examples of unnecessary procedures include imaging scans for back pain and PSA blood tests for prostate cancer screening in asymptomatic men. General practitioners often refer patients for MRI or X-ray imaging when back pain is present. However, unless other neurological symptoms are present, such scans rarely provide clinical benefit and often pick up incidental findings, leading to further unnecessary interventions.
PSA testing is another area under scrutiny. Originally intended for monitoring men with a known or suspected diagnosis of prostate cancer, it’s become common in screening otherwise healthy men. Experts warn that this can result in false positives and trigger worry or unnecessary treatment.
Why Unnecessary Procedures Happen in Healthcare in Denmark
According to survey responses, a combination of patient pressure, medical tradition, and fear of missing a serious condition drives doctors to order extra tests. Among physicians, the most common justifications cited are pressure from patients or relatives and anxiety about overlooking something critical. For nurses and other healthcare professionals, habitual practices and patient expectations were the top explanations.
Healthcare experts argue that this culture of overtesting leads to both financial and emotional burdens. Patients may be exposed to harmful follow-up procedures or undergo anxiety-inducing false alarms.
Daily Impact in Hospitals
Doctors at major hospitals like Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen see this issue unfold daily. Many patients are scheduled for tests such as endoscopies and scans that, in hindsight, do not influence treatment – especially in cases where symptom management is more realistic than curative treatment. While some patients feel reassured by frequent testing, professionals urge a shift toward informed conversation and explaining when less can actually be more.
Billions Lost to Inefficiencies in Healthcare in Denmark
Kjeld Møller Pedersen, a health economics expert and professor emeritus, estimates that 20 to 30 percent of procedures in the Danish system are unnecessary. This would mean that out of the roughly 140 billion Danish kroner spent annually on healthcare in Denmark and primary care in 2024, up to 28 billion kroner could potentially be wasted.
This level of inefficiency aligns with global estimates by the OECD, which found in 2017 that about one-fifth of healthcare testing worldwide is likely unnecessary.
Reforming Medical Practices Is Challenging
Despite the clear evidence and professional consensus, changing medical practice is difficult. Dismantling outdated diagnostic habits requires both patient education and systemic support for healthcare workers to adopt new protocols. Once a procedure is widely accepted and institutionalized, resisting its use can meet with resistance, from both staff and patients.
Initiatives like “Choose Wisely,” a collaboration between medical societies and patient organizations, aim to reduce waste. Since its launch in Denmark in 2019, the initiative has produced 23 recommendations to eliminate unnecessary procedures. Still, widespread cultural change is slow.
Back Scans Highlight the Potential for Change
Back pain is one of the most frequent complaints in Denmark and a top driver of healthcare costs, consuming over 7 billion kroner per year. In 2023, nearly 125,000 Danes underwent MRIs or X-rays for back pain. And yet experts like Cees Stavenuiter, a general practitioner and board member of the Danish Society for General Medicine, argue that around 80 percent of these scans could be avoided.
Figures from Denmark’s Health Data Agency show that the number of back scans has decreased by just 9 percent over the past five years, indicating slow adoption of evidence-based reductions.
Patient Assurance vs. Medical Necessity
Many so-called “routine checkups” serve a psychological purpose: reassuring patients that nothing is seriously wrong. Health committee members in Denmark’s regional governments recognize that some visits may not be medically essential but affirm their value in providing comfort and continuity of care.
Still, officials stress the need to use limited resources wisely. With aging populations and growing demand for expensive treatments, spending billions on marginally useful procedures diverts funds from more critical care.
Efforts are ongoing. Political leaders and healthcare institutions alike are looking into refining guidelines and educating both professionals and the public about making informed, necessary medical decisions.
