Course: Risk Management Consult: Managing the Risks of Defensive Medicine
Author: Rosemary Gafner and James Schutte
AMA PRA Category 1 credits: 6
Estimated Hours to Complete Course: 5.50
Estimated Minutes to Complete Test: 30
Course Release Date: 8/1/2014
Course Expiration Date: 12/31/2020
How defensive medicine can adversely affect patient care.


Risk Management Consult
Managing the Risks of Defensive Medicine


Defensive medicine not only drives up the cost of medical care, it actually increases your liability exposure. It can also cost you financially: if you work in a hospital-owned practice or contract with any managed care organizations, there is increasing pressure for them to weed out physicians with excessive utilization patterns.



1.  Explain how defensive medicine actually increases a physician’s liability exposure.
2.  Describe how following evidence-based guidelines improves diagnostic and treatment efficiency while lowering your likelihood of being sued.
3.  Explain how electronic health records and Accountable Care Organizations can be used to reduce utilization while improving patient care.
4.  Use the informed consent process to engage the patient in decisions about which tests and procedures are ordered in a way that reduces utilization while improving patient satisfaction and lowering your potential liability.

Target Audience
This course is designed for physicians of all specialties.





CME Information


This activity is valid for release August 1, 2017 and expires on July 31, 2020.

Estimated time to complete this activity: 6 hours.

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