Ferdi DIRVAR, Sevda UZUN DIRVAR, Mehmet Akif KAYGUSUZ, Bilge EVREN, İrfan ÖZTÜRK

Effect of malpractice claims on orthopedic and traumatology physicians in Turkey: A survey study

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the malpractice claims experienced by orthopedic and traumatology physicians andto determine their effects on burnout, job satisfaction, and clinical practice.Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on orthopedic and traumatology specialists between May 2019 and February2020. Data collection was carried out via e-survey at “turk-ortopedi” mail group, which is an electronic communication networkof orthopedic and traumatology physicians. For data collection, sociodemographic data forms were used including the generalcharacteristics, working conditions, and the malpractice claim events along with the Maslach Burnout Inventory scale to evaluate burnout and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire to investigate job satisfaction.Results: In total, 353 orthopedic and traumatology physicians (348 men, 5 women), including 37 professors, 41 associate professors,and 275 surgeons, completed the questionnaire. In total, 65.4% of the participants (231 physicians and 471 relevant dossiers) statedthat they were currently facing a malpractice claim. Emotional burnout and hesitant behavior in medical practices were significantlyhigher among the physicians who had undergone an investigation/trial with the claim of malpractice (p

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