Measuring emergency medicine physicians' knowledge levels about their legal responsibilities in interventional procedures: a cross-sectional study

Aims: As the number of emergency department (ED) patients increases, medical-legal lawsuits also increase. Doctors must have medicolegal knowledge. Interventional procedures are frequently performed in EDs. Our study aims to evaluate emergency physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding their medical-legal responsibilities regarding frequently performed interventional procedures. Methods: This is a prospective questionnaire study in a single center. The questionnaires were answered via Google® Form. Participants were asked questions about their demographic characteristics and education levels. The study was applied to physicians working in the ED from October 10 to 20, 2023. Results: A questionnaire was sent to 155 physicians. One hundred forty-three responded to the questionnaire. Most participants (88%) were found to have received training on interventional procedures performed in the ED, but their level of knowledge about their legal responsibilities during interventional procedures was lower (18.2%). It was observed that specialist physicians and faculty members had better awareness of interventional procedures in the Postgraduate Emergency Medicine (PEM) training program than assistant physicians (p<0.001). As age and professional experience increased, the training received and awareness levels increased (p<0.001). Conclusion: Specialists and faculty members have higher legal knowledge, while assistant physicians face difficulties in fulfilling their legal responsibilities. Findings highlight the need for early legal education in emergency medicine for their legal responsibilities in invasive procedures.