Assessment Of Malpractice Fear and Occupational Anxiety Of Intern Doctors

Öz

Aim: The internship period is a critical period during which medical candidates experience increased clinical responsibilities and intense professional anxiety and fear of making mistakes. The increased professional responsibilities and concerns about the consequences of decisions made during internships can profoundly impact not only interns' immediate performance but also their long-term professional orientation. Factors such as increased malpractice lawsuits, increased professional responsibilities, and violence in healthcare can negatively impact interns' professional expectations and trigger professional anxiety. Although the number of studies examining professional anxiety and psychological states in medical students has increased in recent years, the current literature is quite limited in assessing the fear of malpractice and professional anxiety levels of interns. This study aimed to assess the levels of fear of malpractice and professional anxiety in interns and to demonstrate the relationship between them. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 198 (84.6%) intern physicians studying at Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine between July and August 2025. Data were collected using a questionnaire form that included sociodemographic characteristics, professional variables that may be associated with malpractice (presence of a physician in the family, personal rights in undergraduate courses, and malpractice training), the Malpractice Fear Scale, and the Professional Anxiety Questionnaire. Chi-square and Spearman correlation tests were used for statistical analyses, with a p≤0.05 level of significance. Results: A high level of fear of malpractice was found in 44.4% of participants. No significant relationship was found between sociodemographic variables and fear of malpractice. However, fear of malpractice was significantly higher among interns who experienced anxiety during patient examinations (p<0.05). 85.9% of participants had moderate to high levels of professional anxiety, with patients requiring emergency intervention being the most common cause of anxiety. A positive and significant correlation was found between fear of malpractice and professional anxiety (r=0.380; p<0.001). Conclusions: Approximately half of intern physicians experience a high level of fear of malpractice, and this is associated with professional anxiety. Findings suggest that fear of malpractice is related to educational conditions and the professional environment rather than individual characteristics. It is recommended that the medical education curriculum be revised in line with the principles of the National Core Education Program (UCEP), that the quantity and quality of clinical practice training be increased, and that structured malpractice awareness training be provided at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Internship
• Malpractice
• Anxiety
• Medical students

İntörn Doktorlarda Malpraktis Korkusu ve Mesleki Kaygı Düzeyinin Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Amaç: İntörnlük dönemi, doktor adaylarının klinik sorumluluklarının arttığı, mesleki kaygı ve hata yapma korkusunun yoğun olarak deneyimlendiği kritik bir süreçtir. İntörnlük döneminde artan mesleki sorumluluklar ve alınan kararların sonuçlarına ilişkin kaygılar, intörnlerin yalnızca anlık performanslarını değil; uzun vadeli mesleki yönelimlerini de derinden etkileyebilmektedir. Artan malpraktis davaları, mesleki sorumluluk artışı ve sağlıkta şiddet gibi etmenler intörn doktorların mesleki beklentilerini olumsuz etkileyerek, mesleki kaygının tetiklenmesine neden olabilmektedir. Her ne kadar son yıllarda tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinde mesleki kaygı ve ruhsal durumların incelendiği çalışmalar sayıca artsa da; mevcut literatürde intörn doktorların malpraktis korkusu ve mesleki kaygı düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesine yönelik yapılan çalışmalar oldukça sınırlıdır. Bu çalışma, intörn doktorlarda malpraktis korkusu ve mesleki kaygı düzeylerini değerlendirmek ve aralarındaki ilişkiyi ortaya koymak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışma Temmuz–Ağustos 2025 tarihleri arasında Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi’nde öğrenim gören 198 (%84,6) intörn doktor üzerinde yapılan kesitsel tipte bir araştırmadır. Veriler sosyodemografik özellikleri, malpraktis ile ilişkili olabilecek mesleki değişkenleri(ailede hekim varlığı, lisans derslerinde özlük hakları ve malpraktis hakkında eğitim alma durumu) Malpraktis Korku Ölçeği ve Mesleki Kaygı Anketi içeren anket formu ile toplanmıştır. İstatistiksel analizlerde Ki-kare ve Spearman korelasyon testleri kullanılmış, anlamlılık düzeyi p≤0,05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular: Katılımcıların %44,4’ünde yüksek düzeyde malpraktis korkusu saptanmıştır. Sosyodemografik değişkenler ile malpraktis korkusu arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmamıştır. Ancak hasta muayenesi sırasında kaygı hisseden intörnlerde malpraktis korkusu belirgin olarak daha yüksektir (p<0,05). Katılımcıların %85,9’u orta ve yüksek düzeyde mesleki kaygıya sahip olup, en sık kaygı nedeni acil müdahale gerektiren hastalar olmuştur. Malpraktis korkusu ile mesleki kaygı arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur (r=0,380; p<0,001). Sonuç: İntörn doktorların yaklaşık yarısı yüksek düzeyde malpraktis korkusu yaşamakta ve bu durum mesleki kaygıyla ilişkilidir. Bulgular, malpraktis korkusunun bireysel özelliklerden çok eğitim-öğretim koşulları ve mesleki ortamla ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Tıp eğitimi müfredatının Ulusal Çekirdek Eğitim Programı (UÇEP) ilkeleri doğrultusunda gözden geçirilmesi, klinik uygulama eğitimlerinin nicelik ve niteliğinin artırılması ile lisans ve lisans sonrası dönemlerde malpraktis farkındalığına yönelik yapılandırılmış eğitimlerin verilmesi önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İntörnlük
• Malpraktis
• Anksiyete
• Tıp öğrencileri

Kaynakça

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