ATTITUDES OF PHYSICIANS IN NORTHERN ONTARIO TO MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LITIGATION

OBJECTIVE To survey medical practitioners' experience with and attitud es toward litigation alleging medical malpractice. DESIGN A survey usi ng a questionnaire. SETTING The Sudbury and Manitoulin Health District of Northern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS Medical practitioners in the area. RESULTS Physicians are sometimes negligent; malpractice is not simply created by entrepreneurial lawyers and patients with unrealistic expec tations. At present malpractice is restrained by both the threat of ci vil litigation and the disciplinary committee of the Ontario College o f Physicians and Surgeons. CONCLUSION We must address the fear of malp ractice suits if the North is to attract and retain the physicians it needs to provide modern standards of medical care.