[The knowledge of medical law among medical students and medical service providers in Switzerland].

Abstract

Introduction: Legal aspects play an increasingly big role in everyday medical practice. This can lead to uncertainties when dealing with medicolegal issues, which could negatively impact the healthcare system and its involved parties. In this study, the medicolegal knowledge of medical students and physicians in Switzerland was examined to give recommendations for undergraduate, postgraduate and further education. A survey was conducted to assess how comfortable individuals feel when dealing with medicolegal issues, and their medicolegal knowledge was tested using case vignettes. Participants generally felt «rather uncomfortable» to be confronted with medicolegal issues. The results of the case vignettes suggest some medicolegal knowledge. However, there were indications of lack of knowledge or incorrect knowledge across almost the entire range of the topics surveyed. In undergraduate, postgraduate and further education, it seems appropriate to focus on the topics insurance and patient rights. Nevertheless, a generally more comprehensive medicolegal education can be considered important. In addition to medicolegal theory, its practical application should be taught as well. A more comprehensive medicolegal education should be seen as one of various approaches to address the uncertainty when facing medicolegal issues.