Defensive Medicine Used to Prevent Medical Malpractice in Ny

Dr. Michael Rosenberg has been known to speak about practicing defensive medicine in fear of committing medical malpractice in NY. Defensive medicine is a safe approach that doctors take when being subjected to a slightly risky treatment plan. Doctors will tend to recommend and implement treatments, procedures, and surgeries that are less invasive and by the book so that they will not be subjected to medical malpractice. But is this type of practice medical malpractice in itself? It would be considered medical malpractice if the safe approach leads to further complications and ends up severely harming the patient. The safe approach taken by doctors is something to be concerned about not because it involves a less risky treatment plan, but because of what might happen if they do not explore all treatment options. Doctors like Rosenberg are afraid that if a medical decision they make can come back to haunt them later. Second opinions by experts are what are going to prove these doctors either committed medical malpractice in NY or did not. Doctor’s should not be worried about what might happen to them, they should be worried about the healthcare of their patients.

These doctors who practice defensive medicine are going to be overly careful in every move that they make so they are not susceptible to committing medical malpractice in NY. “Dr. Rosenberg said during an interview at his office in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Many physicians say that in trying to treat their patients, they practice 'defensive' medicine over-ordering tests, over-referring patients to specialists, or over-prescribing medication only to fend off lawsuits in case something goes wrong.” This type of behavior is very safe and thorough; however those types of practices are not always going work. Some doctors will blame this type of behavior on liability issues and the high cost of medical malpractice insurance in NY. Doctors who feel that they have been put in an awkward position because they must look out for themselves in terms of liability as well as look out for the best interest of their patients.

Defensive practices are also going to be hard on the wallet as well. Doctors are now ordering tests more frequently than before and referring more patients to specialists. These are both two very expensive measures that are going to hit both the patients and the insurance companies. “A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute, released earlier this year, placed the amount spent by physicians practicing defensive medicine at $210 billion.” This money is coming directly from the patients and insurance company’s pockets that are not going to like this increase one bit. This statistic also explains why there was an increase in the cost of healthcare. Since doctors have been practicing defensive medicine, costs as well as concern have increased tremendously. This fear of litigation coming from medical malpractice NY suits is what is driving doctors to increase the amount of referrals, tests, and medication driving the cost of healthcare through the roof. If you have been harmed from medical malpractice in NY, contact a lawyer to help you begin your medical malpractice NY suit.