<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?><article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id>2182-5173</journal-id>
<journal-title><![CDATA[Revista Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar]]></journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title><![CDATA[Rev Port Med Geral Fam]]></abbrev-journal-title>
<issn>2182-5173</issn>
<publisher>
<publisher-name><![CDATA[Associação Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar]]></publisher-name>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id>S2182-51732025000400344</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.32385/rpmgf.v41i4.13362</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title xml:lang="en"><![CDATA[Physicians&#8217; perception about defensive medicine in primary healthcare: cross-sectional study]]></article-title>
<article-title xml:lang="pt"><![CDATA[Perceção dos médicos de família sobre medicina defensiva: estudo transversal]]></article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Esteves]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Ana Catarina]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Carvalho]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Catarina Brás]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Faria]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Marina]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Santos]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Mariana]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Rachadell]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Juan]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Farinha]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Leonor]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Tomé]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Sofia]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[João]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Sara]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Caetano]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Catarina]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
</contrib-group>
<aff id="Af1">
<institution><![CDATA[,ULS Lisboa Ocidental USF Quinta das Lindas ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Barcarena ]]></addr-line>
<country>Portugal</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af2">
<institution><![CDATA[,ULS Lisboa Ocidental USF Linda-a-Velha ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Linda-a-Velha ]]></addr-line>
<country>Portugal</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af3">
<institution><![CDATA[,ULS Lisboa Ocidental USF Lusa ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Carnaxide ]]></addr-line>
<country>Portugal</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af4">
<institution><![CDATA[,ULS Lisboa Ocidental USF Quinta das Lindas ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Barcarena ]]></addr-line>
<country>Portugal</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af5">
<institution><![CDATA[,ULS Alentejo Central Unidade Saúde Pública ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Évora ]]></addr-line>
<country>Portugal</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af6">
<institution><![CDATA[,ULS Lisboa Ocidental USF Descobertas ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Algés ]]></addr-line>
<country>Portugal</country>
</aff>
<pub-date pub-type="pub">
<day>00</day>
<month>08</month>
<year>2025</year>
</pub-date>
<pub-date pub-type="epub">
<day>00</day>
<month>08</month>
<year>2025</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>41</volume>
<numero>4</numero>
<fpage>344</fpage>
<lpage>353</lpage>
<copyright-statement/>
<copyright-year/>
<self-uri xlink:href="http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S2182-51732025000400344&amp;lng=en&amp;nrm=iso"></self-uri><self-uri xlink:href="http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&amp;pid=S2182-51732025000400344&amp;lng=en&amp;nrm=iso"></self-uri><self-uri xlink:href="http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_pdf&amp;pid=S2182-51732025000400344&amp;lng=en&amp;nrm=iso"></self-uri><abstract abstract-type="short" xml:lang="en"><p><![CDATA[Abstract  Background and purpose: Defensive medicine is defined as a deviation from standard medical practice for fear of medical malpractice claims and has serious consequences for patients, doctors, and public funds. We aim to understand the perception of defensive medicine practice in primary health care, specifically in the Health Centers Group of Western Lisbon and Oeiras (HCG WLO).  Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between May 2019 and September 2020, including all 182 physicians working at HCG WLO. Each participant received a questionnaire to answer within two months, and the results were analyzed through SPSS®, v. 27.  Results: We included 138 questionnaires (11 excluded and 33 not answered). 61% of physicians consider defensive medicine a moderate problem, and 92.2% have already practiced defensive medicine, which includes ordering additional exams (93.7%), referring to secondary care (53.2%), and scheduling further appointments (34.9%). The main reasons for defensive medicine are the need for more information to make safer decisions (63.8%) and patient insistence on performing extra procedures (55.9%). 68.3% believe that practicing defensive medicine reduces malpractice claims.  Discussion: Most physicians had already practiced defensive medicine once in their lives. They consider it a problem and recognize its elevated costs. They believe in protocol development, legal support improvement, consultation time adjustment, and health literacy promotion to diminish the problem. It was not possible to establish an association between workplace and defensive medicine practice due to the low number of participants. The research team aims to apply this protocol nationwide for more valid results and to promote new policies.]]></p></abstract>
<abstract abstract-type="short" xml:lang="pt"><p><![CDATA[Resumo  Introdução e objetivos: A medicina defensiva (MD) é definida como um desvio à prática médica considerada standard, por receio de processos médicos com consequências importantes para os doentes, médicos e fundos públicos. O objetivo do trabalho é avaliar a perceção que os médicos de medicina geral e familiar do ACeS Lisboa Ocidental e Oeiras (ACeS LxOO) têm relativamente à prática de medicina defensiva.  Métodos: Foi desenvolvido um estudo transversal entre maio/2019 e setembro/2020. Foram incluídos 182 médicos do ACeS LxOO. Cada participante recebeu um questionário que, após preenchimento dentro do prazo definido de dois meses, foi recolhido e os dados foram tratados recorrendo ao SPSS®, v. 27.  Resultados: Foram incluídos 138 questionários (11 excluídos e 33 não preenchidos). 61% dos médicos consideram MD como um problema moderado e 92,2% já praticou MD, que se traduziu em pedir mais exames (93,7%), referenciar mais (53,2%) e marcar mais consultas (34,9%). As razões principais que motivaram a prática da MD foram: necessidade de tomar decisões mais seguras (63,8%) e a insistência do doente em realizar mais exames ou procedimentos (55,9%). 68,3% dos médicos consideram que a MD reduz o número de processos médicos.  Discussão: A maioria dos médicos já praticou pelo menos uma vez MD durante o exercício da sua profissão. Consideram a MD um problema e reconhecem o elevado custo associado. Acreditam que desenvolvimento de protocolos, apoio legal, tempo de consulta ajustado à necessidade e literacia em saúde podem diminuir o problema. Não foi possível estabelecer uma associação entre local de trabalho e a prática da MD devido ao número reduzido de participantes. Futuramente pretende-se conhecer estes dados a nível nacional, obter resultados mais robustos, de forma a possibilitar a proposta de novas estratégias de saúde.]]></p></abstract>
<kwd-group>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[Defensive medicine]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[Primary healthcare]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[Outcome&#8217;s assessment]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="pt"><![CDATA[Prática de medicina defensiva]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="pt"><![CDATA[Cuidados de saúde primários]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="pt"><![CDATA[Resultados em saúde]]></kwd>
</kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front><back>
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