If you’ve ever watched the popular “MythBusters” program on the Discovery Channel, you know that many supposed truths are based on old, incomplete, or simply incorrect information.

The same can be said about beliefs about the quality of health care in America. How many times have you heard that more tests and treatments are better than fewer? Or that more costly care is better? And how can you avoid thinking that the latest treatment or medicine is better than one that’s been used for years?

I wish I could disprove these myths with the same clear-cut results you see when “MythBusters” tests gadgets from James Bond movies.

Myths about health care quality often hold a grain of truth, which make them harder to prove false. The advice they offer might hold true for some people in certain cases. However, carefully gathered findings from many different studies offer a better idea of what is likely to hold true for most people under most circumstances.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the popular beliefs about health care quality to see why I think they are myths.

More services and treatments are better than fewer.

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