A survey of sued physicians’ self-reported reactions to malpractice litigation in Iran

Saberi, Seyed Mehdi; Sheikhazadi, Ardeshir; Joghataei, Hojatalah; Mohammadi, Vida; Fallahian, Masoumeh

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2008.12.016

« Previous Next »Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 16, Issue 6 , Pages 301-306, August 2009

A survey of sued physicians’ self-reported reactions to malpractice litigation in Iran

Seyed Mehdi Saberi, MD (Forensic Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor)
- Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Iran
Ardeshir Sheikhazadi, MD (Forensic Medicine Specialist, Associate Professor)
- Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poursina St. Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran 1417613151, Iran
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +98 21 22126039; fax: +98 21 66405588.
- Mobile: +98 912 2890395.
Hojatalah Joghataei, MD (Forensic Medicine Specialist)
- Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poursina St. Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran 1417613151, Iran
Vida Mohammadi, MD (Gynecologist)
- Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poursina St. Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran 1417613151, Iran
Masoumeh Fallahian, MD, MPH (Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor)
- Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Shahid Beheshti University (MC), Iran

Received 16 April 2008; received in revised form 9 September 2008; accepted 9 December 2008.

Abstract

Objective

To illustrate the psychological effect of grievances and negligence litigation on doctors sued by Legal Medicine Organization Complaints Commissions.

Methods

Retrospective survey regarding the views of a large sample of Iranian sued physicians by using a piloted anonymous questionnaire.

Results

The answer rate was 77.5%. Seventy-six per cent of participants encountered monitoring criteria for psychiatric disturbance. Rate of psychological morbidity in between study cluster was much higher than Iranian general population, Iranian non-sued general practitioners, interns and medical students. There was, however, minimal dysfunction of work, public or family life. The survey form to estimate the doctor’s realization of lawful risk displayed that doctors yet misconceive medico-legal risk. Doctors being sued or having legal protests against them depict the process as an exceedingly demanding event.

Conclusions

Grievance or legal action is unusual in the daily practice of doctors, but in today’s medico-legal domain they face a continuous possible threat. The threat of, or real, legal process can cause psychological, corporeal and behavioral practice changes.

Keywords: Malpractice litigation, Psychological impact, Physicians, Tehran, Iran