Currently submitted to: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Jun 22, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Jun 30, 2026 - Aug 25, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Evaluation Of The Opinions Of Physicians Working In Gynecology And Obstetrics Clinics On Defensive Medicıne
ABSTRACT
Background:
Defensive medicine (DM) refers to the practice in which doctors order diagnostic tests, treatments, and procedures to shield themselves from potential lawsuits by patients rather than focusing on diagnosing and treating the patient
Objective:
This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to evaluate defensive medicine practices among physicians working in gynecology and obstetrics clinics in Istanbul, Turkey.
Methods:
A total of 1069 physicians, including faculty members, specialists, and resident physicians, participated in this study. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of demographic and professional characteristics and the "Turkish Defensive Medical Practice Attitude Scale," which measures attitudes towards defensive medical practices in three sub-dimensions: cost-increasing behavior, defensive behavior, and avoidance behavior.
Results:
The majority of participants were female (63.8%), with a mean age of 37.86 ± 11.58 years. The mean duration of time in medicine and specialty was 13.37 ± 11.7 and 11.66 ± 11.275 years, respectively. Physicians worked in various institutions, with the highest proportion working in training and research hospitals (53.5%). Most physicians (85.4%) chose the profession of medicine voluntarily, and 84.9% chose obstetrics and gynecology for similar reasons. The weekly working hours varied, with 35.27% working more than 60 hours per week. The average number of outpatient clinics per month, patient examinations per day, and patients under responsibility during shifts/day were 13.741±7.16, 41.79±24.20, and 31.74±26.06, respectively. The monthly shift duration for 944 physicians was 74.00±55.96 hours.
Conclusions:
The findings of this study provide insights into the prevalence and characteristics of defensive medicine practices among gynecology and obstetrics physicians in Istanbul, Turkey, and highlight the need for further research and interventions to address this issue.
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