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| - Last Updated on January 29, 2025 by Dr Priyamvada
Quick Take
A social media post claims that modern medicine is making us sicker. We did the fact check and determined this claim as mostly false.
The Claim
A viral Instagram post claims that 40% of hospital patients suffer from iatrogenic diseases, prescription medications are the leading cause of drug addiction, and medical accidents cause as many deaths as two jumbo jet crashes every two days. It suggests that people should prioritise holistic health over modern medicine.
Fact Check
What are iatrogenic diseases?
Iatrogenic diseases refer to health conditions unintentionally caused by medical treatments, procedures, or medications. These can include:
- Medication side effects – Adverse reactions to prescribed drugs.
- Surgical complications – Infections, excessive bleeding, or unintended injuries during surgery.
- Hospital-acquired infections – Pneumonia, sepsis, or other infections developed during hospital stays.
- Radiation or chemotherapy effects – Damage to healthy tissues while treating cancer.
While iatrogenic diseases are a recognised issue, hospitals and healthcare providers actively work to reduce their occurrence through better protocols, improved training, and patient safety initiatives.
Do 40% of hospital patients suffer from iatrogenic diseases?
No, this is an exaggeration. A 2019 study found that approximately 6% of patients experience preventable harm in medical care, with 12% of these incidents being severe or fatal. The most common causes were related to drugs (25%) and other treatments (24%). Preventable harm was more prevalent in intensive care or surgery settings. This highlights the need for better strategies to reduce preventable harm and improve healthcare quality. To address this, healthcare systems worldwide implement strict protocols to minimise these risks through enhanced patient care, advanced medical technology, and continuous staff training.
Are prescription medications the leading cause of drug addiction?
No, prescription drugs are not the primary cause of addiction globally. While opioid misuse has been a serious issue, particularly in the U.S., the real-world data identifies alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs (such as heroin and cocaine) as the leading causes of addiction worldwide.
Although prescription drug misuse is a concern, responsible prescribing, patient education, and better access to addiction treatment are more effective solutions than rejecting modern medicine altogether. In many cases, medications such as antidepressants, painkillers, and sedatives are necessary for managing chronic conditions and improving quality of life.
Do medical accidents cause as many deaths as two jumbo jet crashes every two days?
The comparison between medical errors and aviation disasters is misleading. A 2016 British Medical Journal (BMJ) analysis suggested that medical errors could be the third leading cause of death in the US, with 440,000 deaths annually. However, this conclusion was based on a small number of studies, many of which were not designed to assess preventable deaths. Critics argue that these studies misinterpreted and overgeneralised the data. More recent research indicates that only around 3-4% of hospital deaths are due to preventable errors.
Equating medical errors to aviation disasters oversimplifies the issue. The BMJ analysis combined studies that did not establish a direct link between medical errors and death, leading to exaggerated claims. Medical error harm is difficult to measure, and estimates can be uncertain. Small, outdated, or non-representative studies cannot accurately predict national death rates. Not all errors result in death, and experts may disagree on what constitutes an error. Studies from Norway, the UK, and Massachusetts suggest that preventable deaths are much lower than some reports claim, with rates ranging from 1% to 4.2%.
While medical errors are a real concern, the comparison to aviation disasters unfairly discredits modern medicine and promotes unproven alternative treatments. Aviation operates under strict safety standards, whereas healthcare involves millions of complex, unpredictable cases daily. Not all negative outcomes are the result of negligence—many arise from disease complications, patient conditions, or limitations in medical knowledge. The focus should be on improving patient safety, not on fear-driven comparisons.
Should holistic health replace modern medicine?
No, both should complement each other. Holistic practices—such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management—are valuable for disease prevention and overall well-being. However, modern medicine is essential for treating serious conditions like infections, trauma, cancer, and organ failure.
Rejecting modern medicine in favour of holistic remedies alone can be dangerous. While natural approaches support health, they cannot replace evidence-based treatments for life-threatening conditions. The best approach is an integrative one, combining preventive health measures with scientifically proven medical treatments.
We spoke with Dr Anusha Dewan, Practising General Physician and Public Health Consultant at Jeevan Anmol Hospital, New Delhi, for her expert opinion on whether holistic practices should replace modern medicine. She says, “Holistic health and modern medicine both have valuable roles to play in healthcare, but they shouldn’t be seen as replacements for each other. Modern medicine is essential for diagnosing and treating specific conditions with evidence-based methods, while holistic health focuses on the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—promoting overall well-being. The key is balance. By combining the best of both approaches, we can provide more comprehensive care that addresses not just the illness, but also the lifestyle, environment, and emotional health of individuals. It’s about using all available tools to improve health, rather than choosing one over the other.”
On a related note, some social media posts claim that doctors are not trained to cure diseases, but only to manage them. This conspiracy theory suggests that modern medicine practitioners deliberately keep patients sick. However, this claim is both false and misleading.
What do hospitals do to improve patient safety?
Hospitals implement various patient safety measures to minimise risks and prevent medical errors, including:
- Surgical checklists – Step-by-step verification processes before, during, and after surgery to prevent mistakes.
- Electronic prescribing systems – Reduces medication errors by ensuring accurate prescriptions and flagging potential drug interactions.
- Improved communication protocols – Standardised handoff procedures between doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers to prevent miscommunication.
- Infection control measures – Strict hygiene protocols, including handwashing campaigns and antimicrobial stewardship, to reduce hospital-acquired infections.
- Patient identification protocols – Barcode scanning and wristbands help ensure the right treatment is given to the right patient.
These initiatives, along with ongoing staff training and technological advancements, continuously enhance patient safety and reduce iatrogenic harm.
For expert guidance, we spoke with Dr Sanjeev Kumar, MPH, Senior Consultant (Medical), NPCCHH (MoHFW), Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, about how hospitals improve patient safety. He explains, “Hospitals take ongoing steps to enhance safety, including strict protocols for hygiene, infection control, and medication management. Staff receive regular training on the latest practices, and advanced monitoring systems track patient conditions to detect issues early. Open communication between patients and providers helps address concerns and ensure alignment. The goal is to create a safe environment that prioritises preventing harm and promoting well-being.”
THIP Media Take
The claim that modern medicine is making us sicker is mostly false. It distorts real healthcare concerns by using exaggerated statistics and misleading comparisons. While patient safety and prescription drug misuse are important issues, modern medicine remains crucial for saving lives and improving health. Instead of fearmongering, discussions should focus on enhancing healthcare safety and effectiveness.
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