Defensive Medicine

Defensive medicine is the practice of diagnostic or therapeutic measures conducted primarily not to ensure the health of the patient, but as a safeguard against possible malpractice liability.Fear of litigation is the driving force behind defensive medicine, however even critics of the litigation system have found that a more fundamental motive may be a deliberate increase of services to create revenue.Defensive medicine is especially common in the United States of America, with rates as high as 79% to 93%, particularly in emergency medicine, obstetrics, and other high-risk specialties.