defensive medicine
Fear-based medical practice
Defensive medicine is the practice of ordering tests, procedures, or treatments primarily to protect against potential malpractice lawsuits rather than for clear medical benefit.
Doctors practicing defensive medicine may order extra imaging, refer patients to specialists unnecessarily, or avoid high-risk procedures—all to create a paper trail or reduce liability exposure: The unnecessary CT scan was pure defensive medicine.
- overdiagnosisFinding harmless conditions unnecessarily
- overprescriptionExcessive medication ordering
- overutilizationExcessive consumption of resources
- cascade effectSequential chain of consequences
overtesting · CT scans · shotgun approach · watchful waiting · overscreening
Harmful professional negligence
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- malpractice insuranceCoverage for professional wrongdoing claims
- tort reformCivil justice system changes
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
risk aversion · legal protection · courtroom · deposition · expert witness · settlement · damages · liability shield
Active desire to help
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- resource allocationAssigning available means strategically
- justiceFair treatment under law
- professionalismWorkplace conduct standards
conflict of interest · patient-centered care · transparency · fiduciary duty · paternalism · informed choice
Resources devoted to medicine
- wasteUnwanted discarded material
- insurance premiumsPeriodic payments for coverage
- out-of-pocketPaid from personal funds
- cost-effectivenessValue relative to expenditure
resource drain · overcharging · fee-for-service · reimbursement
unnecessary tests
- overdiagnosisFinding harmless conditions unnecessarily
- overprescriptionExcessive medication ordering
- overutilizationExcessive consumption of resources
cascade effect · overtesting · CT scans · shotgun approach · watchful waiting · overscreening
malpractice
Harmful professional negligence
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- malpractice insuranceCoverage for professional wrongdoing claims
- tort reformCivil justice system changes
documentation · risk aversion · legal protection · courtroom · deposition · expert witness · settlement · damages · liability shield · paper trail
beneficence
Active desire to help
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- resource allocationAssigning available means strategically
- justiceFair treatment under law
professionalism · conflict of interest · patient-centered care · transparency · fiduciary duty · paternalism · informed choice
healthcare spending
Resources devoted to medicine
- wasteUnwanted discarded material
- insurance premiumsPeriodic payments for coverage
- out-of-pocketPaid from personal funds
resource drain · cost-effectiveness · overcharging · fee-for-service · reimbursement
- healthcare problemsmedical errors, misdiagnosis, high costs, long waits, staffing shortages
- medical lawmalpractice, medical liability, informed consent, medical licensing, medical negligence
- malpracticemalpractice, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, malpractice insurance, professional negligence
- harm preventiondo no harm, harm prevention, harm reduction, patient safety, precaution
- Overdiagnosisovertesting, overtreatment, overscreening, overprescription, overprescribing
defensive medicinepatient-centered care
Healthcare respecting individual priorities
evidence-based medicine · evidence-based practice · individualized care · precision medicine
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