Damage Caps Linked with Greater Tolerance of Clinical Uncertainty, Less Unnecessary CAD Testing

Physicians appear to practice less defensively and aren’t as likely to order unnecessary coronary artery disease testing following the adoption of liability damage caps, results from a new study published in JAMA Cardiology suggested. Researchers compared physician-specific changes in coronary artery disease (CAD) testing and treatments in nine states that recently adopted new liability damage caps. The study population included 36,647 physicians in new-cap states and 39,154 in no-cap states. The results showed that physicians in new-cap states were less likely to order invasive angiography as a primary diagnostic test and referred fewer patients for angiography following stress testing. They also reduced revascularization rates following ischemic evaluation. The researchers said the findings “suggest that physicians tolerate greater clinical uncertainty in CAD testing and treatment if they face lower malpractice risk.” 

Source: JAMA Cardiology