By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Soaring Medical Costs Pinned on Medical Devices
    June 7, 2011
    Debt Ceiling Negotiations on Health Care are Mere Cost Shifting
    July 15, 2011
    Is Kathleen Sebelius Listening to the NCPA?
    August 29, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Medical Malpractice Fear Drives Doctors to Order Too Many Tests MD Survey Shows
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Ethics > Medical Malpractice Fear Drives Doctors to Order Too Many Tests MD Survey Shows
BusinessMedical Ethics

Medical Malpractice Fear Drives Doctors to Order Too Many Tests MD Survey Shows

dikedrummond
dikedrummond
Share
3 Min Read
medical malpractice fear order more tests
SHARE

 

 

medical malpractice fear order more testsMedical Malpractice Fear drives many doctors to order too many tests. I am not just saying that … it is a finding from a 2011 survey of the Physicians themselves! 627 randomly selected Primary Care Doctors were surveyed in 2009 producing some fascinating findings. This got a lot of press … here are the highlights.

TOO MUCH CARE?
42% of the 627 respondents believed the patients in their own practice were getting too much care. Just 6% of doctors believed their patients were getting too little care. (The rest thought the level of care was just right.)

More Read

The Battle Over Avastin
Navigating The Changing Landscape Of The Medical Marijuana Industry
Criminal Attacks on Healthcare Organizations Increase 100%
What Mental Health Parity Has Wrought
Should Hospital Websites Be Labeled for Consumers as Advertising?  

What did the doctors blame the excessive care on?

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE FEARS:

  • 28% of the doctors thought they themselves were practicing more aggressively than they would prefer to
  • 76% of doctors blamed medical malpractice worries for their over-aggressive care
  • 83% of physicians thought they could easily be sued for failure to order a test that was indicated
  • Only 21% thought they could be sued for ordering a test that wasn’t indicated


NOT ENOUGH TIME:

40% of doctors surveyed said inadequate time to spend with patients led them to order tests or refer patients to specialists rather than use other, less-aggressive ways of addressing patients’ issues.


FINANCIAL INCENTIVES – only for the “other guy”

Financial incentives were also cited, but “most thought they affected other physicians,” the study found. Look at these response rates below and the term “finger pointing” comes to mind. 

  • Only 3% said financial considerations influenced their own care decisions
  • While 39% said they affected other primary-care doctors
  • And 62% thought they affected sub-specialist physicians

Here’s the study abstract

And as you might expect, this got a lot of Press Coverage and ** SPIN **

Wall Street Journal

Fiercehealthcare

Reuters

============

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT – do your  patients get too much or too little care – or is your practice “just right”?

If you say too much … why is that in your case (medical malpractice fear)?

TAGGED:medical malpractice
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Diabetes: Outlook for Monitoring, Management, and Technology Development

April 18, 2012
care empathy in health
Business

Doctor Entrepreneur: What Patient-Customers Want Is Good Business

August 29, 2014

Incorporating Patient Reported Outcomes in Post-Surgery Evaluation

October 27, 2014

What’s Missing in NIH COI Rules

September 16, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?