2013, Number 1
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Med Int Mex 2013; 29 (1)
Defensive Medicine in a Regional General Hospital
Prieto-Miranda SE, Valdepeña-Ramírez MP, Mora-Sota M, Jiménez- Bernardino CA
Language: Spanish
References: 15
Page: 32-38
PDF size: 196.28 Kb.
ABSTRACT
Background: Defensive medicine, as part of medical practice,
seems to be exercised with or without the knowledge of many
professionals. Technological advances, patient’s human rights,
informed consent, free access to medical information and lack of
medical professionalism, probably are participating as conditional
factors to this practice.
Objective: To determine the frequency of the practice of defensive
medicine in medical specialists of a hospital of second level of
attention.
Materials and methods:Cross-sectional, descriptive study. We
applied a survey to know the level of defensive medicine in medical
specialists of the Regional General Hospital 46 “Lázaro Cárdenas”
from the Mexican Institute of Social Security in Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Mexico. That agreed to participate in this study. The Investigation
and Ethics committee of the hospital previously authorized
the protocol.
Results: We surveyed 246 (83%) of all hospital doctors, 49 (17%)
declined to participate. The gender ratio was 146 (59%) men and
100 (41%) women. The practice of defensive medicine was found
at different levels in 177 (72%) of the surveyed physicians. Specialties
with more defensive medicine practice were Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics
and Orthopedics and Traumatology. The practice of defensive
medicine prevailed in recent medical graduates certified by the
college of his specialty.
Conclusion: The frequency of defensive medicine is common in
medical practice in a Regional General Hospital, and whose effects
are still unknown.
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