Doctors motivated by both health, malpractice concerns when ordering additional tests

FINDINGSA UCLA-led studyhas found that dermatopathologists, who specialize in diagnosing skin diseases at the microscopic level, are motivated both by patient safety concerns and by malpractice fears— often simultaneously —when ordering multiple tests and obtaining second opinions, with a higher proportion of these doctors reporting patient safety as a concern.When ordering additional microscopic tests for patients, 90% of the dermatopathologists surveyed cited patient safety as a concern and 71% of them reported malpractice fears. Similarly, when obtaining second reviews from a consulting pathologist or recommending additional surgical sampling, 91% cited safety concens and 78% malpractice concerns.BACKGROUNDThe medical subspecialty of dermatopathology ranks second highest in malpractice verdicts over $1 million, with misdiagnosed skin cancer being the most common reason for these claims.When diagnosing skin biopsies, dermatopathologists will frequently order additional tests for their patients. Published research has noted thatmany physicians practice “defensive medicine” by orderingsometimesunnecessary tests and consultations in order to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits.METHODThe researchersconducted online surveyswith 160 dermatopathologistsin 33 states.The team notesthat because the survey was based on self-reported behavior, it is possible that some respondents provided the most professionally desirable answers. The study ’s design may also have mi...

Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - July 17, 2020 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news