Boston Globe Reports, Over Their Career, Most US Doctors Will Face Lawsuit

We like to stay away from controversial "healthcare issues" and focus on "wellness." However, I think there needs to be awareness in such topics as malpractice reform. Unfortunately, this is one of the many reasons healthcare is so expensive. And headlines like this is what drives doctors to treat patients based on fear of a lawsuit instead of what is strictly necessary for the patients.

Here is an article from the Boston Globe that talks about a study that found that most doctors will be sued during their careers. 

The study looked at claims data for nearly 41,000 physicians from 1991 to 2005. The researchers found that 7.4 percent of physicians had a malpractice claim against them each year and that 1.6 percent had a claim that led to a payment each year.

This, of course, is one of the many reasons heatlhcare is so expensive. 

Fear of lawsuits drives many physicians to practice defensive medicine - ordering more diagnostic tests than necessary, for example - or to retire early, Woodward said. And when doctors fear legal retribution, they are less likely to share information, with patients or internally.

To read the entire Boston Globe article, visit the link below:

http://articles.boston.com/2011-08-18/lifestyle/29901691_1_malpractice-patients-doctors