Risk of Malpractice Claims and Changes in Professional Autonomy: A Qualitative Study of Obstetrician-Gynaecologists in Switzerland

Abstract

Based on interviews, this article explores how obstetrician-gynaecologists in Switzerland deal with and respond to the risk of malpractice claims. It describes the factors associated with the interviewees’ perceived increasing risk of litigation, as well as three attitudes towards the use of consent forms as a means of managing such a risk. This article suggests that the perceived risk of claims is closely linked to the physicians’ perception of how external regulation shapes their professional autonomy.