iatrogenic

[ahy-a-truh-jen-ik, ee-a-]

adjective

1. (of a medical disorder) caused by the diagnosis, manner, or treatment of a physician.

iatrogenic

/ aɪˌætrəʊdʒɪˈnɪsɪtɪ, aɪˌætrəʊˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

1. med (of an illness or symptoms) induced in a patient as the result of a physician's words or actions, esp as a consequence of taking a drug prescribed by the physician

2. social welfare (of a problem) induced by the means of treating a problem but ascribed to the continuing natural development of the problem being treated

Other Word Forms

• iatrogenicity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of iatrogenic¹

First recorded in 1920–25; iatro- + -genic

Example Sentences

Ms. Hoffman became increasingly angry over what she began to call “iatrogenic pregnancies.”

Read more on New York Times

If Whitaker is right, modern psychiatry, together with the pharmaceutical industry, has inflicted iatrogenic harm on millions of people.

Read more on Scientific American

After all, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation can have devastating iatrogenic effects, including heart disease, opportunistic infections, other forms of cancer and suicide.

Read more on Scientific American

The cascading effects of U.S. protectionism on U.S. producers and consumers constitute an ongoing tutorial about what Daniel Patrick Moynihan called “iatrogenic government.”

Read more on Washington Post

This leads to higher risk of morbidity and mortality from iatrogenic causes.

Read more on New York Times

When To Use

What does iatrogenic mean?

Iatrogenic is an adjective used to describe a medical disorder, illness, or injury caused in the process of medical treatment.Iatrogenic conditions are typically caused inadvertently, such as through an incorrect diagnosis or the prescription of medicine that ends up doing harm.Less commonly, iatrogenic is used in the context of social welfare to describe a problem that has been caused by the actions intended to address another problem.Example: Iatrogenic conditions are the basis of most medical malpractice lawsuits.