SHOULD WE BE AFRAID OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE COMPLAINTS? THE DOCTORS’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Background. Medical malpractice litigation is a well-known increasing phenomenon all over the world, although precise data are not always available. The reasons for submitting complaints against the doctors may vary from one country to another, from one culture to another, from the view of the patients and the view of physicians, although some of them are universal. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of malpractice complaints and the reasons lying beneath through the eyes of physicians who were involved in complaints filed by patients. Material and method. The authors performed a qualitative research and the data were collected using a semi-structured interview. The target population was represented by doctors from different specialties, who were involved in complaints from patients on any of the three components of medical liability: civil, criminal, disciplinary. The analysis of the collected data was done inductively, identifying common themes. Results. The general opinion of the participants was that the malpractice risk follows an upward trend, and the factors that contribute to this are related both to patients (e.g. external influences, financial motivations) and medical practice (e.g. medical communication, overwork of the medical staff). Conclusions. Malpractice complaints are an increasing reality in medical practice in Romania, and the data are of particular importance for sounding the alarm in the directions in which measures should be taken to limit the continued growth in the number of complaints and open up new opportunities for research on this topic.