EXPLORING FACTORS INFLUENCING OVER-MEDICALIZATION: A SCOPING REVIEW.

Background and aims: Medicalization is the process of extending medical gaze on human conditions which is not intrinsically bad phenomenon. Engaging in the medicalization out of defined thresholds or the bad form of medicalization is called over-medicalization. Detriment, dispensable death and waste of numerous resources are the causes of over-medicalization. The aim of this scoping review was to explore influential factors on over medicalization in the world. Methods: We did search in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Ovid, Proquest as reliable databases. Articles that were investigated determinants of over medicalization in different themes were selected. All data entered in data extractions table and Meta synthesis method was used for qualitative research. Factors were grouped according to the musicalized subjects and categorized into three levels (personal, professional and social). Results: Out of 5118 articles identified for the study, over 70 factors were extracted from 30 articles addressing factors affecting over medicalization in various subjects. Among the extracted factors, the social and professional factors were respectively more than personal factors. Conclusion: Over-medicalization originates from a wide range of factors. Identifying potential influential factors in provision of unnecessary care is pivotal to eliminate the menace of this phenomenon. Extra social, political and cultural resources will be needed if the reported factors are to be tackled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]