Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26572999›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of clinical pathology2015

Medical malpractice concerns and defensive medicine: a nationwide survey of breast pathologists.

Lisa M Reisch, Patricia A Carney, Natalia V Oster, Donald L Weaver, Heidi D Nelson, Paul D Frederick, Joann G Elmore

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of clinical pathology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. The Asian Thyroid Working Group, from 2017 to 2023.Journal of pathology and translational medicine · 2023
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Malpractice and Patient Safety Concerns.American journal of clinical pathology · 2020
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Observational
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lisa M ReischFrom the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle;
Patricia A CarneyDepartments of Family Medicine and Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland;
Natalia V OsterFrom the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle;
Donald L WeaverDepartment of Pathology, University of Vermont and UVM Cancer Center, Burlington; and.
Heidi D NelsonDepartments of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology and Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, and Providence Cancer Center, Providence Health & Services, Portland.
Paul D FrederickFrom the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle;
Joann G ElmoreFrom the Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle; jelmore@uw.edu.

Funding

Accuracy of Breast Pathology and the Impact of Double ReadingR01CA140560 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI ELMORE, JOANN G, WEAVER, DONALD LEE · 2009 to 2013
$3.3M
Digital Pathology_Accuracy Viewing Behavior and Image CharacterizationR01CA172343 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI SHAPIRO, LINDA, WEAVER, DONALD LEE · 2013 to 2017
$3.2M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA140560NCI NIH HHS R01 CA172343
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectives"Assurance behaviors" in medical practice involve providing additional services of marginal or no medical value to avoid adverse outcomes, deter patients from filing malpractice claims, or ensure that legal standards of care were met. The extent to which concerns about medical malpractice influence assurance behaviors of pathologists interpreting breast specimens is unknown.

methodsBreast pathologists (n = 252) enrolled in a nationwide study completed an online survey of attitudes regarding malpractice and perceived alterations in interpretive behavior due to concerns of malpractice. Associations between pathologist characteristics and the impact of malpractice concerns on personal and colleagues' assurance behaviors were determined by χ(2) and logistic regression analysis.

resultsMost participants reported using one or more assurance behaviors due to concerns about medical malpractice for both their personal (88%) and colleagues' (88%) practices, including ordering additional stains, recommending additional surgical sampling, obtaining second reviews, or choosing the more severe diagnosis for borderline cases. Nervousness over breast pathology was positively associated with assurance behavior and remained statistically significant in a multivariable logistic regression model (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-6.1; P = .043).

conclusionsPracticing US breast pathologists report exercising defensive medicine by using assurance behaviors due to malpractice concerns.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelDefensive MedicinePathology, ClinicalFemaleHumansMalePhysiciansSurveys and QuestionnairesAssurance behaviorsBreastBreast pathologyDefensive medicineMedical malpractice

Identifiers

PMID26572999
PMCPMC6436915

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.