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Act First and Look Up the Law Afterward?: Medical Malpractice and the Ethics of Defensive Medicine

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Abstract

This essay examines the so-called phenomenon of ‘defensive medicine’ and the problematic aspects of attempting to maintain the safest legal position possible. While physicians face genuine litigation threats they frequently overestimate legal peril. Many defensive practices are benign, but others alter patient care and increase costs in ways that are ethically suspect. Physicians should learn to evaluate realistically the legal risks of their profession and weigh the emotional, physical, and financial costs to the patient before employing a defensive measure.

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  1. Department of Medical Humanities, East Carolina University, School of Medicine, Brody Medical Sciences Building, Greenville, N.C, 27858-4354, USA

    Kenneth De Ville

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De Ville, K. Act First and Look Up the Law Afterward?: Medical Malpractice and the Ethics of Defensive Medicine. Theor Med Bioeth 19, 569–589 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009991707255

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