ReviewJournal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG2026
Defensive medicine in dermatological practice - Dermatopathology as a mirror of structural challenges.
Review in Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Discordance Between Morphology and Molecular Findings in Dermatopathology: A Perspective on Diagnostic Integration.Journal of cutaneous pathology · 2026Article
- Digital Pathology in Dermatology - Current Status, Applications and Perspectives.Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Defensive medicine refers to diagnostic or therapeutic actions taken primarily to reduce legal liability rather than to benefit the patient. In dermatopathology, defensive practices manifest in frequent immunohistochemical testing, overly cautious report phrasing, and reliance on multidisciplinary tumor boards. Underlying causes include diagnostic uncertainty, guideline ambiguity, legal pressures, and financial incentives. These behaviors can lead to overtreatment and rising healthcare costs without improving diagnostic accuracy. This manuscript advocates for a balanced, evidence-based diagnostic approach, emphasizing appropriate indications, improved clinicopathologic correlation, and the need for further subspecializing. Dermatopathology is presented as a paradigmatic discipline that highlights both the challenges and potential of defensive diagnostic behavior. Enhancing legal understanding, promoting structured decision-making, and strengthening diagnostic confidence may help to reduce unnecessary testing and support high-quality, patient-centered care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.