A whopping 90 percent of surveyed doctors routinely overtest their patients in an effort to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits. As we are slowly creeping toward the federal government approving these tests under the umbrella of Universal Healthcare, what does that say about the medical profession's intrinsic fear of lawsuits or, of surviving a lawsuit? Even worse, what does that say about our society?
In other words, are our doctors seeing their horizon narrowing even further? Will United Healthcare pay for overtesting? Will there be more lawsuits?
A majority of these tests are taking place in our Emergency Rooms. And yet the last thing a doctor or patient wants is a delay in the ER. Tests take a lot of time during routine doctor visits. But, in an ER, where the patient and doctor most likely have never met before, the records have to be perfectly exact. There isn't time to build a relationship and yet every i must be dotted, every t crossed. Everyone is under the gun, so to speak. So that puts ER physicians in the top 10 ranking for specialists most likely to be sued for malpractice.
Along with ERs, medical facilities in the United States, many already governed by existing HMOs, have been forced to think outside of their black medical bags. Dictated to by insurance companies, patients, and now, the fear of lawsuits? How much of what they do is just what they are allowed to do?
Gone are the days of artist Norman Rockwell depicting our doctors doing what they signed up for: listening, advising and treating. Patients are now the ones guilty of hovering over their physicians with clipboards and virtual red pens. It's the patient that is virtually examining them through the microscope and magnifying lens. Mutual respect between doctor and patient is a memory fogged by growing distrust and ignorance.
What's wrong with this picture?
With changes coming through Universal Healthcare the trend may worsen as lines lengthen - although this is not an argument for or against Universal Healthcare. The wait for services simply has to expand if we are performing more tests on more patients. If a patient, seemingly litigious or not, must submit to more testing than is necessary, how much longer before this macabre twist: A malpractice suit due to overtesting a patient?
By educating the patient, through whichever methodology they understand, verbal or written, gaining signed consents - again lengthening the time between diagnosis and actual treatment - will all be to what end?
Next predictable survey: "What percentage of doctors feel that it's everyone else on the continent governing the treatment of their patients?"
Maybe educating our doctors about the pitfalls of common medical malpractice suits is the only answer. If doctors know what hurdles they need to jump, they are more than capable. But throw up a hurdle haphazardly, like a lawsuit, and there isn't any time for preparation. It's called reparation.
For more information about medical malpractice laws and lawsuits, please visit the information center.