CHICAGO (AP) -- In the debate over whether doctors may be ordering too many medical tests, the hospital emergency room is a focal point for the question, is it overkill or good care?
The fear of missing something always weighs heavily but the stakes are highest in the ER, often leading to extra blood tests and imaging scans for what may be harmless aches, pains and bumps.
Many ER doctors say the No. 1 reason is fear of malpractice lawsuits.
ER physicians are among the top 10 specialists most likely to be sued for malpractice, according to leading doctor and insurers groups.
The fast ER pace plays a role, too. It's much quicker to order a test than to ask a patient lots of questions.
And many patients think every ache and pain deserves a high-tech test.
National data suggest there are more than 116 million ER visits each year nationwide, and rising.
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