title: Medical professional liability and health care system reform.
abstract: Few issues elicit more emotion from physicians than medical malpractice. The very word "malpractice" implies guilt and immediately places the involved physician on the defensive. Defensive medicine adds 5% to 9% to the cost of medical care. Numerous solutions have been proposed, but special interests have blocked the implementation of these solutions in most states. Tort reform is necessary to control the escalation of medical costs.
authors.affiliation: Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants, Limited, 619 East Mason Street, Suite 4P57, Springfield, Illinois 62701, USA. jdove@prairieheart.com
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Dove
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brush
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Chazal
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oetgen
mesh_terms: D003675:Defensive Medicine / Q000191:economics; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000191:economics*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States