America
Lawsuit fear driving US neurosurgeons to perform extra tests
Washington, Feb 2
More than three-fourths of
neurosurgeons in the US practice some form of defensive medicine -
performing additional tests and procedures - out of fear of malpractice
lawsuits, a survey has revealed.
Defensive medicine refers to
making medical decisions based on concerns over possible malpractice
lawsuits, rather than any expected benefit to the patient.
"The
vast majority of US neurosurgeons participate in some form of defensive
medicine," said Timothy Smith from Northwestern University in the US.
For the study, the researchers sent a questionnaire regarding defensive medicine to 3,344 neurosurgeons.
While
more than 80 percent of surgeons said they had ordered imaging tests
solely for defensive reasons, more than three-fourths reported ordering
laboratory tests and making extra referrals for defensive purposes.
Up to half said they ordered more medications and procedures out of fear of being sued.
Nearly one-fourth had stopped performing brain surgery for fear of being sued.
The findings appeared in the journal Neurosurgery.