Psychological Impact and Demographics of Medico-Legal Action on General Practitioners

Objective: To measure the impact of medico-legal matters on doctors’ health and well-being by comparing doctors who have experienced complaints and litigation with those who have not.

Method: 1239 members of the medical defence organisation United Medical Protection were surveyed with 566 respondents (46%).

The survey was self-report and included a demographic component, history of medico-legal matters, General Health Questionnaire (psychiatric morbidity), AUDIT (alcohol use), Sheehans Disability Scale to assess level of function in home, social and family life, and Quality of Life.

Results: Those with a “current legal matter” reported increased disability and reduced quality of life and showed significantly increased levels of psychiatric morbidity compared to those doctors who did not have a current legal matter.

Those who had sought assistance for a medico-legal matter reported significantly higher levels of alcohol use and increased levels of disability in work, social and family life and lower Quality of Life.

Significantly more males reported current and past legal matters and had significantly higher alcohol usage and increased disability scores compared to females.

Conclusion: Unsurprisingly, doctors who have current medico-legal matters have a higher level of disability and distress. However, doctors with a past medico-legal matter continue to have increased levels of disability in the domains of work, social and family life, lower reported quality of life and higher levels of alcohol use.

The findings of this study need to be addressed in medical professional training and by medical defence organisations to better assist doctors through these processes.