Legal controls of the medical profession.
OBJECTIVE
The authors, after a brief historical review of the theme, review the articles published in the last year. The purpose is to verify how the field has moved on during this period, as a constant increase of legal and social controls on the medical profession is perceived.


RESULTS
Surprisingly, very few articles treating directly the theme reviewed were found. The better part of the articles examined legal aspects of the medical profession in a nonsystematic way. Among the ones selected those that dealt with internal controls (produced by the professional categories such as the Clinical Practice Guidelines) and those that dealt with external controls (produced by other social groups) could be identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors conclude that the existence of limits and internal and external controls is fundamental for a professional medical practice of quality. However, the excess of controls, which causes a defensive attitude, may negatively interfere in the quality of the care offered to patients.
Taborda
José Gv
JG
Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. jose@taborda.med.br
Abdalla-Filho
Elias
E
Dohler
Cíntia
C
de Castro Bins
Helena Dias
HD
D032781:Codes of Ethics; D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000266:history; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008511:Medicine / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards; D012926:Social Control, Formal