Defensive medicine is how physicians protect themselves from lawsuits. Whether ordering extra and unnecessary tests or avoiding high-risk patients, these measures reduce the chance of physicians facing a malpractice lawsuit for a bad outcome or missed diagnosis. At least 75 percent of physicians practice defensive medicine at an annual cost estimated to be $650 billion per year. Medicine is an inexact science. Diseases don’t always manifest as described in textbooks. What seems like indigestion could in reality be a heart attack. And vice versa. Diagnostic tests are expensive and certain tests carry their own risks. Financial barriers such as insurance restrictions, preauthorization, and paperwork add additional barriers so physicians make their best judgment based on the evidence in front of them and their experience. If their decision in the heat of the moment, based on the information at hand and their desire to provide the best possible care to their patient, turns out to...(Read Full Article)