HealthLeaders Media September 7, 2017
Medical doctors surveyed cited “fear of malpractice” as the top reason for unnecessary care. Researchers suggest that aspiring MDs learn about overtreatment well before it becomes a concern.
Despite years of industry emphasis on curbing costly and potentially harmful unnecessary care, physicians believe that overtreatment remains an ongoing problem, according to a research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine published this week in the journal PLOS ONE.
The findings, based on a survey of more than 2,000 physicians, revealed that most physicians surveyed (64.7%) believe that at least 15% to 30% of medical care is unnecessary. Those surveyed were from a subgroup of the American Medical Association’s Physician Masterfile.
The top three culprits cited include:
- Prescription medications (22%) ...