Reference no: EM133397440
When surveyed by Medscape in 2016, practicing physicians reported that while they are on the job 62% of them worry constantly about being sued. In 2015, the year which was analyzed by the survey, providers indicated that the number one reason for being named in a malpractice lawsuit was failure to diagnose. In the anonymous survey 82% of the doctors, regardless of specialty, admitted to practicing 'defensive medicine.' Defensive medicine is designed to protect the provider perhaps more than it is designed to benefit the patient. An example may be the best way to define this practice.
Imagine that you are not feeling well. You give it a few days, but it seems that it is getting worse over time. Begrudgingly, you go to the instacare as your regular doctor can't see you for a full week. While there, you speak to the nurse and the physician who are both convinced that this is a sinus infection. Fearing the notion of liability and malpractice, the doctor orders a strep test, a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia, and just to be safe, wants to draw blow for a CBC. The office visit went from $135 to $525 as a result of the physician practicing defensive medicine.
In the United States, it is estimated that the cost of defensive medicine is a little over $46 billion annually. After reading this week's material, and after conducting some research, discuss what you believe to be the top three ways to combat defensive medicine.
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