Malpractice affects plague US healt...

Malpractice affects plague US health care professionals, according to a Harris Interactive scrutinize The survey was conducted in interviews with 300 physicians, 100 give suck tos and 100 hospital administrators on telephone and online between March 4 and March 20 2002

Large numbers of physicians report that they order more criterions refer more patients, prescribe more medications, and insinuate biopsies more than necessary because they are mattered about malpractice. Many health care professionals think that defensive medicine eventuates in unnecessary or excessive care. Many do not think that the rife legal system achieves reasonable terminates and favor replacing the generally received system with special medical courts staffed by the agency of medical experts.

The fear of liability leads

* 79% of physicians to order more touchstones than medically necessary,

* 74% of physicians to leave patients more often than they would if the decision was based single on their professional judgment,

* 51% of physicians to hint invasive procedures (eg, biopsy) more many times than necessary, and

* 41% of physicians to prescribe medications more many times than medically necessary.

Ninety-four percent of physicians, 66% of give suck tos and 84% of hospital administrators believe that unnecessary or excessive care is provided because of fear of malpractice. Forty-three percent of physicians have considered leaving medicine because of the malpractice liability system

A majority of physicians (59%) believe that liability is a primary reason to what end hospitals do not share the consequence s of inquiries into patient injury. Thirty-three percent of promotes and 37% of hospital administrators agree. Fifty-nine percent of physicians also be wrought up that open discussion about ways to lessen medical errors is hampered by way of fear of liability.

"Doctors and other health professionals report that fear of malpractice has a big, and mainly negative, impact on medical practice, unnecessary defensive medicine and opennes in discussing medical errors," Health Care moderns 3 (Feb 7, 2003).

COPYRIGHT 2003 Association of Operating extent Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group