Defensive medicine: frequencies and correlations with acknowledgement of defensive practice and with anxiety
| Per cent of defensive practice or behaviours | Correlation with acknowledgement of defensive practice | Correlation with anxiety | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of defensive practice | 62.1% | 1.00 | 0.30* |
| Defensive behaviours | |||
| Suicidal patients | |||
| Advises unwarranted hospitalisation | 54.2% | 0.34† | 0.47† |
| Increases follow-up | 75.6% | 0.23† | 0.25‡ |
| Initiates contact with family | 93.3% | −0.11 | 0.10 |
| Consults senior psychiatrist | 52.6% | 0.14 | 0.20 |
| Refers to another professional | 65.9% | 0.01 | 0.17 |
| Prescribes medication without indication | 10.4% | 0.09 | −0.03 |
| Changing or initiating new medication | |||
| Informs about severe yet rare side effects | 72.9% | −0.10 | 0.18 |
| Records that explained about side effects | 74.2% | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Informs of increased risk of suicidality | 47.3% | −0.01 | 0.23‡ |
| Pregnant patients | |||
| Avoids medication altogether | 46.8% | 0.05 | 0.39† |
| Prescribes a smaller dosage | 45.6% | 0.27† | 0.05 |
| Elderly patients | |||
| Informs of cerebrovascular diseases risk | 55.4% | −0.06 | 0.18 |
| Prescribes a smaller dosage | 91.9% | 0.23† | 0.01 |
*p<0.05.
†p<0.001.
‡p<0.10.