The Effect of Legislative Requirements on the Use of Breast-Conserving Surgery

Continuing medical education, peer-review organizations, consensus conferences, and practice guidelines have been advocated as ways of improving the quality of medical care. However, evidence of their effectiveness is lacking. 1 – 6 Another way to change medical practice is through legislation that requires certain actions on the part of health care providers. Traditionally, legislation of this type has been restricted to public health measures, such as the reporting of cases of infectious diseases, but more recently it has been applied to other kinds of medical issues, such as the care of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Several state laws have been . . .