Dr. Saini agrees that testing that is done in part to ward off malpractice suits often leads to more resource use, not more clarity. "Your job and your role and professional obligation is to do what is right for the patient," he said. "If you find yourself ordering a test or procedure because you think it could be a malpractice issue, then you’re thinking about yourself, not the patient."
Physicians are safe if they stick to the evidence, Dr. Schroeder said. "If you are doing less and it’s evidence based, your risk of malpractice goes down dramatically," he said.
Another key is to be skeptical of doing things just because it is an existing practice, said Dr. Schroeder. "Physicians need to keep challenging existing practices," he said.