Comments on: If this isn’t defensive medicine . . . http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:15:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-82484 Anonymous Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:27:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html#comment-82484 "If the incentive driver is the potential lawsuit then behaviors will be created to attempt to reduce the risk of lawsuit. Creating incentives always leads to altering behaviors, but not always in the manner desired."<br/><br/>Yet it's clear that defensive medicine (an undefinable thing if there ever was one) does not reduce the risk of liability if the claims of more suits are to be believed. <br/><br/>It's also clear, from numerous studies done by physicians, that what does reduce one's risk of a lawsuit is treating your patients with more compassion and spending more time with them - even 3 minutes. <br/><br/>So who is to blame if physicians fail to alter their behavior in a manner that would allow them to achieve what they desire? Particularly when they know, or should know, that what they are currently doing is NOT working? “If the incentive driver is the potential lawsuit then behaviors will be created to attempt to reduce the risk of lawsuit. Creating incentives always leads to altering behaviors, but not always in the manner desired.”

Yet it’s clear that defensive medicine (an undefinable thing if there ever was one) does not reduce the risk of liability if the claims of more suits are to be believed.

It’s also clear, from numerous studies done by physicians, that what does reduce one’s risk of a lawsuit is treating your patients with more compassion and spending more time with them – even 3 minutes.

So who is to blame if physicians fail to alter their behavior in a manner that would allow them to achieve what they desire? Particularly when they know, or should know, that what they are currently doing is NOT working?

]]> By: Matthew http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-82483 Matthew Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:11:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html#comment-82483 There is no defensive medicine. A lawyer told me that once, and they're smarter and more honest than doctors, so it must be true. There is no defensive medicine. A lawyer told me that once, and they’re smarter and more honest than doctors, so it must be true.

]]> By: Gasman http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-82480 Gasman Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html#comment-82480 It is however human nature to attempt to respond to incentives. If the incentive driver is the potential lawsuit then behaviors will be created to attempt to reduce the risk of lawsuit. Creating incentives always leads to altering behaviors, but not always in the manner desired. <br/>The cited text in Kevin's post shows that the doc cannot logically and emotionally separate his risk from the patient's risk. <br/>The only way for the doc to do as anonymous wishes, to decide only on the patient's behalf, is to eliminate incentives that cloud thinking about who's risk is to be considered.<br/>There is no human capable of completely disregarding their own interests. The best we can do is to avoid incentives system that produce results contrary to what we want. It is however human nature to attempt to respond to incentives. If the incentive driver is the potential lawsuit then behaviors will be created to attempt to reduce the risk of lawsuit. Creating incentives always leads to altering behaviors, but not always in the manner desired.
The cited text in Kevin’s post shows that the doc cannot logically and emotionally separate his risk from the patient’s risk.
The only way for the doc to do as anonymous wishes, to decide only on the patient’s behalf, is to eliminate incentives that cloud thinking about who’s risk is to be considered.
There is no human capable of completely disregarding their own interests. The best we can do is to avoid incentives system that produce results contrary to what we want.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-82476 Anonymous Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:00:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html#comment-82476 So does it work? Probably not. Once again doctors are not doing their jobs. An interesting take on this very issue can be found here:<br/><br/>http://www.lifeclinic.com/healthnews/article_view.asp?story=508121<br/><br/>If physicians would apply some rigor to their decision making, instead of hiding behind "the lawyers made us do it", their lives and their patients' care would be much improved. So does it work? Probably not. Once again doctors are not doing their jobs. An interesting take on this very issue can be found here:

http://www.lifeclinic.com/healthnews/article_view.asp?story=508121

If physicians would apply some rigor to their decision making, instead of hiding behind “the lawyers made us do it”, their lives and their patients’ care would be much improved.

]]> By: alexa-blue http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-82471 alexa-blue Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:24:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/01/if-this-isnt-defensive-medicine.html#comment-82471 Wow. Now that's moral hazard.<br/><br/>(The rest of the article is pretty good, too) Wow. Now that’s moral hazard.

(The rest of the article is pretty good, too)

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