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Defensive medicine, cost containment, and reform
1Institute for the Medical Humanities, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1311, USA. ldhermer@utmb.edu
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|February 10, 2010
Summary
Defensive medicine contributes a small but significant amount to healthcare costs. Malpractice reform alone won't solve cost issues but is necessary for broader healthcare system changes.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Medical Policy
Background:
- Divergent views exist on defensive medicine's impact on healthcare costs.
- Physicians cite it as a major cost driver; policy analysts are skeptical of malpractice reform's sole impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the role of defensive medicine in healthcare cost inflation.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of malpractice reform in cost containment.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evidence on defensive medicine and healthcare costs.
- Analysis of the relationship between malpractice reform and provider practice patterns.
Main Results:
- Defensive medicine represents a small but non-negligible fraction of healthcare costs.
- Traditional malpractice reforms are insufficient to address the root causes of overprescription and overtreatment.
Conclusions:
- Malpractice reform is a necessary but insufficient measure for medical cost containment.
- Reforms may be essential to gain physician buy-in for larger healthcare system changes aimed at cost reduction.
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