In a study, published on-line in the journal Circulation on April 13, 2010, cardiologists were asked under what circumstances they would order a cardiac catheterization. 29% of physicians ordered the test for other than clinical reasons, foremost amongst them malpractice concerns. About 25% of the doctors ordered more tests than were necessary, driving up costs. Others did it because of concerns of what competing colleagues would do in similar circumstances. The cardiologists indicated they rarely ordered a cardiac catheterization for financial reasons.
A full report is not yet available.
(From: Variation in Cardiologists’ Propensity to Test and Treat. Is It Associated With Regional Variation in Utilization? Frances Lee Lucas, PhD et al; Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. April 13, 2010,
