▁Bow man ' s ▁castle , ▁after ▁three ▁gener ations ▁of ▁merchant - indust rial ists . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Year ▁of ▁birth ▁uncertain ▁Category : L ena pe ▁people ▁Category : T rib al ▁chief s <0x0A> </s> ▁Def ensive ▁medicine , ▁also ▁called ▁def ensive ▁medical ▁decision ▁making , ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁recomm ending ▁a ▁di agnostic ▁test ▁or ▁medical ▁treatment ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁necessarily ▁the ▁best ▁option ▁for ▁the ▁patient , ▁but ▁an ▁option ▁that ▁mainly ▁serves ▁the ▁function ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁phys ician ▁against ▁the ▁patient ▁as ▁potential ▁pla int iff . ▁Def ensive ▁medicine ▁is ▁a ▁reaction ▁to ▁the ▁rising ▁costs ▁of ▁mal p ract ice ▁ins urance ▁prem iums ▁and ▁patients ’ ▁bi ases ▁on ▁su ing ▁for ▁missed ▁or ▁delayed ▁diagn osis ▁or ▁treatment ▁but ▁not ▁for ▁being ▁over di agn osed . ▁U . S . ▁phys icians ▁are ▁at ▁highest ▁risk ▁of ▁being ▁su ed , ▁and ▁over tre at ment ▁is ▁common . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁law su its ▁against ▁phys icians ▁in ▁the ▁USA ▁has ▁increased ▁within ▁the ▁last ▁dec ades ▁and ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁substantial ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁behavior ▁of ▁phys icians ▁and ▁medical ▁practice . ▁Phys icians ▁order ▁tests ▁and ▁avoid ▁tre ating ▁high - ris k ▁patients ▁( when ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁choice ) ▁to ▁reduce ▁their ▁expos ure ▁to ▁law su its , ▁or ▁are ▁forced ▁to ▁dis continue ▁pract icing ▁because ▁of ▁over ly ▁high ▁ins urance ▁prem iums . ▁This ▁behavior ▁has