• 06
  • October
    2011

In the United States, there is a good amount of people who do not receive sufficient medical attention, including individuals in North Carolina. However, a recent national survey uncovered that there are also a group of individuals who might be receiving too much medical care.

Fear of medical malpractice is a huge factor, pushing practitioners to give excessive treatment to patients. Of primary care physicians surveyed, 42 percent said they believed their patients received more medical attention than they needed. One reason why doctors agree to levy out excessive care is fear of medical malpractice lawsuits. If they did not take every measure imaginable to prevent or cure an illness or ailment, it could open them up to such suits.

Doctors admitted to over testing and treating in order to reach clinical performance standards and to compensate for the very little time they have to spend with each patient. At the same time, only 6 percent of the health professionals polled claimed their patients were not receiving enough medical attention.

The study surveyed 627 family physicians and internists, many of which have been in the practice for over 25 years. Of those surveyed, 83 percent believed that they would be sued if they did not administer a test that was indicated for a given clinical situation. On the other side, 20 percent feared they would be sued if they administered an unnecessary test.

Only a small part of this trend was fueled by money as 3 percent of doctors saying they order excessive tests for financial gain. Still, 39 percent said they would limit excessive care if it did not present them with any financial benefit.

This trend raises a red flag in an era where health care costs are at the center of many debates as Americans explore ways to keep expenses down.

Source: abcnews.go.com, "Primary care docs feel pressure to do more tests," Nancy Walsh, Sept. 27, 2011