Diagnosis without action leaves the patient unchanged. Treatment is the application of medical, surgical, pharmacological, or other interventions to manage, cure, or alleviate a disease or injury.

Treatment plans are based on evidence, guidelines, and individual patient factors including severity, comorbidities, and preferences. Goals may be curative, disease-modifying, or palliative. Monitoring assesses response and detects toxicity so that therapy can be adjusted.

Shared decision-making ensures that treatment aligns with the patient’s values. Unnecessary treatment exposes people to harm without benefit; withheld treatment can allow preventable decline. The art of medicine lies in matching the right treatment intensity to the right person at the right time.

• Intervention to manage, cure, or alleviate disease
• Guided by evidence and patient-specific factors
• Goals range from cure to comfort
• Requires monitoring and periodic reassessment