[[{“type”:“media”,“view_mode”:“media_large”,“fid”:null,“attributes”:{“class”:“media-image alignright size-full wp-image-1615”,“typeof”:“foaf:Image”,“style”:“”,“width”:“100”,“height”:“100”,“alt”:“Wall Street Journal”}}]]Doctors can’t say there is a single best treatment for some types of back pain. So what determines whether you get surgery or not? A new report by The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making says it depends on where you live and which doctor you see. According to lead author Shannon Brownlee, this situation can result in patients getting treatment they would not have chosen if they had fully understood all the options.

Read the full story, published on 02/24/11.