Defensive medicine: A serious threat to Iran's healthcare system

Defensive medicine refers to actions taken by doctors and other medical professionals to protect themselves against potential threats and risks, particularly to prevent patient complaints or convictions in court, which is carried out in various forms including positive and negative defensive medicine. Since the primary motivation behind such actions, often viewed as morally unjustified, is to avoid legal proceedings and lawsuits, court rulings against doctors can intensify these behaviors. Reports of criminal sentences against some doctors in Iran and reactions from professional associations highlight the significance of this issue. This study examined the effects of such sentences on the healthcare system by referring to available documents and data on the widespread prevalence of defensive medicine in Iran, offering some suggestions for managing the issue. The objective of the study was to emphasize the importance of acknowledging the defensive motivations of doctors in healthcare and its influential factors, particularly the fear of criminal convictions, which can increase defensive behaviors among doctors and amplify their negative impacts on the healthcare system.