The Effects of Malpractice Non-Economic Damage Caps on the Supply of Physician Labor: Heterogeneity by Physician Age and Risk.

We explore the impact of malpractice caps on non-economic damages that were enacted between 2003 and 2006 on the supply of physician labor, separately for high-malpractice risk and low-malpractice risk physician specialty types, and separately by young and old physicians. We use physician data from the Area Resource File for 2000-2011 and malpractice policy data from the Database of State Tort Law Reforms. We study the impact of these caps using a reverse natural experiment, comparing physician supply in nine states enacting new caps to physician supply in ten states that had malpractice caps in place throughout the full time period.

Academic physicians' views on low-value services and the choosing wisely campaign: A qualitative study.

Background: In 2012, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation launched a campaign called Choosing Wisely which was intended to start a national dialogue on services that are not medically necessary. More research is needed on the in-depth reasons why doctors overuse low-value services, their views on Choosing Wisely specifically, and ways to help them change their practice patterns.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study of focus groups with physicians to explore their views on the problem of overuse of low-value services, the reasons why they overuse, and ways that they think could be effective at curbing overuse.

Trends in Ambulatory Management of Urinary Incontinence in Women in the United States.

Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition, but despite the availability of guidelines, variations exist in the care of patients. We sought to assess the changes in assessment and management of women with UI over time in the United States.

Methods: The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey are annual surveys from a nationally representative sample of visits to physicians.

Pain Assessment, Management, and Control Among Patients 65 Years or Older Receiving Hospice Care in the U.S.

Context: Knowledge is limited regarding pain assessment and management practices, as well as pain-related outcomes in hospice care.

Objectives: To generate national estimates of pain assessment and management practices and outcomes of pain control among patients 65 years or older receiving hospice care in the U.S.

US Physician Practices Spend More Than $15.4 Billion Annually To Report Quality Measures.

Each year US physician practices in four common specialties spend, on average, 785 hours per physician and more than $15.4 billion dealing with the reporting of quality measures. While much is to be gained from quality measurement, the current system is unnecessarily costly, and greater effort is needed to standardize measures and make them easier to report.