Because medicine requires a high degree of professional knowledge, most patients are in no position to make judgments regarding the appropriateness of the treatment they receive. With the supply and the demand side on this kind of unequal footing, it is the providers of medical care who decide how medical resources will be used.
由於醫療具有高度的專業性，病患無從檢視治療方式是否正確、合理，在此一供需間不對等的情況下，醫療提供者才是醫療資源使用的決定者。