Evaluation of assistant physicians attitudes about defensive medical practices

Introduction: The loss of work power and the high compensation amounts caused by lawsuits on malpractice claims induce concern in physicians. Therefore physicians perform defensive medical practices defined as a deviation from standard medical practice. Aim of this study is to identify attitudes about defensive medical practices among assistant physicians in our hospital. Method: The questionnaire, which includes the sociodemographic data form and the defensive medicine applications attitude scale, was applied to assistant physicians who work at medical and surgical clinical departments in our hospital. The data were analyzed by using the SPSS 22.0. Results: Of all the 243 participants whose mean age was 28, the ratio of men to women was 1,03 to 1. Pediatricians comprised the largest group among respondents (23%), followed by family medicine assistants (17.3%) and orthopedics (15%). 54% of all participants reported that they have concerns about malpractice claims when choosing residency. 50% of all respondents reported that they are ordering more radiodiagnostic tests, 47% of all respondents reported that they often referred patients to other specialists in unnecessary circumstances and 33% of them reported that they avoid certain invasive procedures, because of liability concerns. Conclusion: It was concluded, most of the research assistants perform defensive medical practices and this could affect badly to patients' health and social security system. In order to prevent the spread of such applications, it is considered that the concepts of medical malpractice and defensive medicine should be included effectively in pre- and post-graduate medical education.