The association between fear of malpractice and burnout among Chinese medical workers: The mediating role of legal consciousness

Abstract

Background As a major reason for defensive medicine, the status and effect of “fear of malpractice” among Chinese medical staff is an important topic that needs to be studied. Our study investigated fear of malpractice among Chinese medical workers, assessed its association with burnout, and explored the mediating role of legal consciousness between these factors. Design A quantitative, cross-sectional study. Setting All respondents were investigated using a self-report questionnaire. Demographic characteristics and measurements including a fear of malpractice scale, and a burnout and legal consciousness scale were employed. The effect of fear of malpractice on burnout was examined by carrying out a binary regression analysis. A mediation model was used to test the mediating role of legal consciousness. Participants The study sample included 1031 doctors and nurses (297 male and 734 female; age = 36.3 ± 8.98). Results The average score of fear of malpractice was 20.97 ± 5.34. Respondents with higher levels of fear of malpractice were more prone to burnout ([OR] = 2.865; 95% CI 1.942–4.226). Legal consciousness partially and negatively mediated the effect of fear of malpractice on burnout. Conclusion High levels of fear of malpractice were found among Chinese medical workers, and this fear had a significant effect on burnout. Legal consciousness may be a resource that can alleviate burnout.

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Slovak Version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory

“…The Slovak version of the CBI could be used also for diagnostic purposes, which is highly needed due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to prevent malpractice in many different areas of services. A sensitive instrument is necessary to reliably detect the level of burnout, as malpractice could yield excessive health expenditure and could hinder compliance with health treatment [41]. Apart from health services, it is important to assess burnout as it has adverse consequences in the form of mental and physical illnesses and economic losses.…”

Perceptions of Uncertainty in Medical Care Among Non-medical Professionals and Nurses in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based Preliminary Survey

“…Medical accident victims often experience feelings of frustration and anger after such accidents, while medical staff, as secondary victims, may experience fear concerning malpractice, contributing to burnout [ 1 , 2 ]. Conflicts arising from medical accidents between patients and staff cause frustration for both parties.…”

Analysis of the characteristics, efficiency, and influencing factors of third-party mediation mechanisms for resolving medical disputes in public hospitals in China using 5,948 cases

“…Consequently, the frequent occurrence of medical disputes has weakened doctor-patient trust and led to further deterioration of the medical environment [18][19][20][21]. Increased friction between physicians and patients makes physicians more defensive, impacting medical care quality and contributing to rising healthcare expenses [22][23][24].…”

“…However, research on medical dispute resolution methods has focused more on litigation [29][30][31][32][33][34][35]; some studies have emphasized the role of mediation, but research into the characteristics, e ciency, and in uencing factors of TPM in resolving medical disputes using a large number of detailed cases is lacking [19,27,29,36]. Therefore, we analyzed TPM practices using data from 5,948 cases in Chinese public hospitals from 2014 to 2019 in Gansu, a western province in China.…”