Abstract
With the increasing lawsuits against physicians, whether in the civil, administrative or criminal sphere, the judicialization of medicine has become increasingly common. Therefore, it is essential that medical professionals know the current reality and are prepared to face it. Based on this principle, this study investigated the archives of the Conselho Regional de Medicina (Regional Council of Medicine) for the State of Rio Grande do Norte in order to raise complaints received, investigations, prosecutions and judgments as well as disciplinary penalties applied between 2000 and 2015. After analyzing the data, it was observed that a higher rate of male physicians were reported, and a small number of penalties applied. The research concludes that it is necessary to invest in the prevention of errors through quality and continuous medical education in order to maintain a good relationship between professionals and patients.
Medical errors; Health’s judicialization; Ethics, medical