Defensive medicine refers to any medical practice that a doctor or healthcare professional undertakes to avoid or minimize the chance of a malpractice lawsuit.
Defensive medicine refers to any medical practice that a doctor or healthcare professional undertakes not to serve the best interests of the patient, but to avoid or minimize the chance of a malpractice lawsuit. Defensive medicine results in billions of wasted dollars every year, a price that eventually trickles down to the patient.
Examples of Defensive Medicine
When a healthcare professional bases a decision not on what is best for the patient, but on what will give him or her the least exposure to liability, the professional is practicing defensive medicine.
Some examples of defensive medicine include:
- Ordering unnecessary tests.
- Prescribing medication at higher doses or for longer periods than necessary.
- Overtreating patients with antibiotics.
- Avoiding high-risk patients.
- Performing unnecessary procedures.
A disconcerting aspect of defensive medicine is that most patients have no idea when it is being practiced on them.
The Cost of Defensive Medicine
According to a 2014 report in JAMA Internal Medicine, the practice of defensive medicine costs Americans around $46 billion each year. Equally concerning is how pervasive the practice is. The same report found that 28 percent of orders and 13 percent of costs reviewed were at least partially defensive, while nearly three percent were completely defensive.
For Help With a Medical Malpractice Issue, Call Newsome | Melton Today at 888-261-5614 for a Free Case Evaluation
The medical malpractice attorneys at Newsome | Melton want to hear from you about any issues you are facing. We can help you recover damages for injuries you suffered in a medical malpractice incident. To get a free consultation, call 888-261-5614 today.
Defensive Medicine - Frequently Asked Questions
If a doctor or healthcare provider calls to apologize or express sympathy for an injury suffered by a patient under their care, can this gesture be held against them in a medical malpractice suit? In Florida, the answer is no—as long as the injury occurred as the result of an accident rather than a willful
Read More
If you, your loved one, or your child suffered injuries during a medical procedure in Florida, you might be eligible for compensation—even if no malpractice occurred. Florida’s patient compensation funds provide money for specific injuries. If you are eligible for one of these funds, you could get paid without having to file for medical malpractice.
Read MoreDefensive Medicine - News Articles
On a Friday in April 2016, Michael R. Gillen woke up with a fever, a cough, congestion, and an aching body. That night as his symptoms worsened he was brought to the Holzer Clinic, his local medical provider in Ohio. Doctors at the clinic found that he had a temperature of 102.2 and tested him
Read More
According to research conducted by John Hopkins University, 10 to 15 percent of the United States adult population have gallstone disease and around 800,000 operations are performed each year. The majority of patients suffering from gallstones do not require surgery, but the procedure is very common and statistically very safe. Billy Pierce, who is now
Read More