Defensive medicine practices among gastroenterologists in Japan

Table 3 Relation between assurance and avoidance behaviors and years in practice

	Number ofyearsin practice	Often/sometimesn (%)
Assurance behavior
Order more tests than	1-9	14/33 (42)
medically indicated	10-19	26/67 (39)
	20-	8/31 (26)
Prescribe more medications	1-9	7/33 (21)a
(e.g., antibiotics) than	10-19	13/67 (19)c
medically indicated	20-	1/31 (3)
Refer patients to other	1-9	24/33 (73)
specialists unnecessarily	10-19	47/67 (70)
	20-	19/31 (61)
Suggest invasive procedures	1-9	21/33 (64)
(e.g., biopsy) to	10-19	36/67 (54)
confirm diagnosis	20-	13/31 (42)
Avoidance behavior
Avoid certain procedures	1-9	28/33 (85)
or interventions	10-19	52/67 (78)
	20-	19/31 (61)e
Avoid caring for high-risk patients	1-9	28/33 (85)
	10-19	52/67 (78)
	20-	19/31 (61)e

^aP = 0.033,

^cP = 0.027 vs 20 yr in practice;

^eP = 0.032 vs 1-9 yr in practice.