Defensive medicine

Defensive Medicine is the Diagnostic or therapeutic measures conducted primarily as a safeguard against possible malpractice liability. Fear of litigation has been cited as the driving force behind defensive medicine.

Defensive medicine takes two main forms, assurance behavior, and avoidance behavior. Assurance behavior involves the charging of additional, unnecessary services in order to a) reduce adverse outcomes, b) deter patients for filing malpractice claims, or c) provide grounds that the standard of care was met, if the legal system is involved. Avoidance behavior is when providers refuse to participate in high risk procedures or circumstances.


 * http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/comment/0,7894,1450447,00.html