In this series we are looking at defensive medicine, or “the practice of ordering medical tests, procedures, or consultations of doubtful clinical value in order to protect the prescribing physician from malpractice suits.” In our last post we considered the cost of defensive medicine and the most commonly proposed solution, tort reform. With surveys showing that 70% to
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Defensive Medicine: What can be done?
What is defensive medicine? Merriam Webster defines defensive medicine as the practice of ordering medical tests, procedures, or consultations of doubtful clinical value in order to protect the prescribing physician from malpractice suits. Further, as noted in a 2005 Journal of the American Medical Association article, Defensive medicine takes two main forms: assurance behavior and avoidance behavior.
READ MOREThe Future of Healthcare
The Doctors Company Releases Study Surveying Doctors on the Future of Healthcare: Uncertainty and Frustration with Healthcare Reform Clear Stand Outs The Doctors Company, one of the nation’s largest medical malpractice insurers, has released the results of a survey they did in which they asked over 5,000 physicians from across all 50 states a series
READ MORETechnology Risk Management in Healthcare
Technology is developing and changing today at a pace that is surely unprecedented in recent history. That constant development and change can be overwhelming, leaving us stressed out, confused, and sometimes wishing we could just bury our heads in the sand and ignore it all. But the reality is that such an approach isn’t feasible,
READ MOREShould Doctors Use Social Media?
Most businesses that have any sort of presence on the internet are coming to realize that social media can be a powerful tool in marketing and promoting their products and services. But is it right for healthcare providers to follow suit? If you do a little searching, you’ll find many doctors, dentists, hospitals, and nursing
READ MOREA Few Tips for Keeping up Morale in Your Practice
Boosting Your Workplace Morale The holidays are over and winter has made its presence known with a vengeance across much of the United States—what with polar vortexes, the snowpocalypse and coldmageddon striking from North Dakota to Alabama. Meanwhile schedules are getting back to normal and most of us are settling in for what can often
READ MORESeason’s Greetings from eQuoteMD.com!
Looking Back on a Great 2013 and Ahead to an Exciting 2014 It’s hard to believe it, but with Christmas right around the corner, the end of another year is upon us. And it’s been a great year for our team at eQuoteMD. We achieved numerous milestones in terms of meeting the malpractice insurance needs of physicians
READ MOREWhat the Growing Role of Nurses Means for Risk Management
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, one effect of the increasing number of patients in the health care system is a greater reliance on nurse practitioners. With an aging population of baby-boomers and now the addition of millions to the ranks of the insured as a result of the ACA, combined with a static or
READ MOREWhat’s the Future for Obamacare?
So, what is going to happen with Obamacare? When will it finally come into full effect? Will it come into full effect? What will it mean for doctors? For medical malpractice premiums and coverage? There are the predictions – pro and con – that analysts have been debating since 2009. The optimists remind us that
READ MOREDoctor Appreciation – An Open Thank You
I recently read a couple of articles that really gave me pause. One was an appeal from a young doctor to those in Washington responsible for the creation of public policy. His burden was to help the lobbyists, special interests, and especially politicians understand the long and arduous path to becoming a physician in contemporary America, and what that
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