GPs Alter Care to Avoid Complaints: "Defensive Medicine" Surge

A significant majority of general practitioners are altering their medical practices to mitigate the risk of patient complaints and regulatory actions. A survey indicates that 78% of GPs feel compelled to practice defensively, deviating from optimal patient care. This defensive approach often involves increased prescriptions, more frequent referrals, and extensive note-writing, even when less intervention might be clinically appropriate.

This shift towards defensive medicine, heightened by patient attitudes and time constraints, creates a high-risk environment for doctors. The consequences include potential overdiagnosis and increased patient anxiety. Furthermore, separate reports highlight that GPs are struggling to identify older patients at risk of falls and medication errors due to an overload of new priorities, impacting crucial care for vulnerable populations.