The Sate of Defensive Medicine: Full Interview

Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, the Chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company, recently sat down with Healthcare Matters for a wide-ranging interview on the topic of defensive medicine. Dr. Anderson has been a thought-leader in the field since publishing the article Billions for Defense: The Pervasive Nature of Defensive Medicine in 1999. During the interview, he addressed topics such as tort reform, alternative dispute resolution systems, the pervasiveness of defensive medicine both in the United States and internationally and a recent research study published in the BMJ on defensive medicine.

Dr. Anderson offered his own definition of defensive medicine, as “A test, procedure, or therapy that is ordered by a physician primarily to protect himself or herself from liability rather than because of its diagnostic or therapeutic utility.” He also spoke on the costs associated with defensive medicine and the difficulties in determining these costs. Above all, our series helps to shed light on why defensive medicine is such a deeply entrenched problem for the healthcare system, as well as some possible ways to combat the situation. See below to watch the entire interview. To see Part I, click here.