The fact is people do study how doctor's practice and know that the argument that "defensive medicine" drives health care costs is at best insignificantly true. This is so in two senses, unnecessary tests and procedures with the sole purpose of "covering ones posterior" is generally not a widespread phenomenon and secondly, not that expensive in the sense it does exist. "
Hello: Can you give me references for that please? I would dispute what you say, but only based on my own observations (unpublished). But I would be interested to see real data. Hari Kumar