Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice
Background: Physicians must respect their patients’ rights to informed consent, privacy, access to medical records, non-discrimination, treatment by a qualified doctor, and a second medical opinion. Compliance with patients’ rights is mandatory, and legal breaches are considered medical malpractice...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/4/499 |
| _version_ | 1797620779575148544 |
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| author | Codrut Andrei Nanu Maria Cristina Plaiasu Antoine Edu |
| author_facet | Codrut Andrei Nanu Maria Cristina Plaiasu Antoine Edu |
| author_sort | Codrut Andrei Nanu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Physicians must respect their patients’ rights to informed consent, privacy, access to medical records, non-discrimination, treatment by a qualified doctor, and a second medical opinion. Compliance with patients’ rights is mandatory, and legal breaches are considered medical malpractice under Romanian law. This is the first study to assess physicians’ practices nationally and create a geographical map of legal compliance. Results: We examined survey responses of 2978 physicians, including 1587 general practitioners and 1391 attending physicians from high-risk specialties. According to the findings, 46.67% of physicians’ practices adhered to the law. Physicians’ practices were homogenous across the country’s regions. General practitioners were significantly more legally compliant than attending physicians were. Additionally, 94.02% of the physicians acknowledged malpractice anxiety, whereas only 17.67% had been accused of malpractice. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the need for further research and to voice issues about Romanian physicians’ low level of legal compliance. This study provides a starting point for future studies to evaluate the benefits of interventional strategies in this field. Healthcare facilities should provide physicians with easily available resources when they are unsure about their legal obligations, and establish an observer organization that can detect unlawful conduct. Interventions should concentrate on education programs and expert guidance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:46:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe15e94103d541fda6f957acd385d808 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:46:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe15e94103d541fda6f957acd385d8082023-11-16T20:46:05ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-02-0111449910.3390/healthcare11040499Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical PracticeCodrut Andrei Nanu0Maria Cristina Plaiasu1Antoine Edu2Department No. 14 of Orthopedics, Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaDoctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares St, 200349 Craiova, RomaniaDepartment No. 14 of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaBackground: Physicians must respect their patients’ rights to informed consent, privacy, access to medical records, non-discrimination, treatment by a qualified doctor, and a second medical opinion. Compliance with patients’ rights is mandatory, and legal breaches are considered medical malpractice under Romanian law. This is the first study to assess physicians’ practices nationally and create a geographical map of legal compliance. Results: We examined survey responses of 2978 physicians, including 1587 general practitioners and 1391 attending physicians from high-risk specialties. According to the findings, 46.67% of physicians’ practices adhered to the law. Physicians’ practices were homogenous across the country’s regions. General practitioners were significantly more legally compliant than attending physicians were. Additionally, 94.02% of the physicians acknowledged malpractice anxiety, whereas only 17.67% had been accused of malpractice. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the need for further research and to voice issues about Romanian physicians’ low level of legal compliance. This study provides a starting point for future studies to evaluate the benefits of interventional strategies in this field. Healthcare facilities should provide physicians with easily available resources when they are unsure about their legal obligations, and establish an observer organization that can detect unlawful conduct. Interventions should concentrate on education programs and expert guidance.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/4/499legal complianceRomanian physiciansgeneral practitionersmalpractice |
| spellingShingle | Codrut Andrei Nanu Maria Cristina Plaiasu Antoine Edu Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice Healthcare legal compliance Romanian physicians general practitioners malpractice |
| title | Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice |
| title_full | Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice |
| title_fullStr | Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice |
| title_short | Geographic and Specialty-Specific Disparities in Physicians’ Legal Compliance: A National-Scale Assessment of Romanian Medical Practice |
| title_sort | geographic and specialty specific disparities in physicians legal compliance a national scale assessment of romanian medical practice |
| topic | legal compliance Romanian physicians general practitioners malpractice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/4/499 |
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