title: Evaluating different types of malpractices in midwifery that were referred to the forensic medicine commission and the medical council between 2006 and 2011 in Isfahan province, 2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical malpractices in obstetrics are one of the main health concerns since in addition to the mortalities and morbidities caused for the two susceptible groups of mothers and neonates, they may lead to difficulties for the accused gynecologists and midwives in returning to their routine medical career and giving services to the patients. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate different types of malpractices in midwifery that were referred to the legal medical commission and medical council in Isfahan province.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we evaluated the data from all midwifery cases referred to the forensic medicine commission and medical council in Isfahan province between 2006 and 2011, with at least one lawsuit confirmed by the jury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that in a total of 206 investigated cases at the medical council and forensic medicine commission in Isfahan, 66 cases of medical error sentences including 38 cases in medical council and 28 cases in forensic medicine commission were proved, which revealed 32% of malpractice in midwifery services in 2006-2011 in Isfahan. Negligence (39.2%), imprudence (23.5%), and disobedience of governmental regulations (19.6%) stood among the most commonly reported malpractices. Our findings also suggest that the most common malpractices happened in the postpartum period with a frequency of 44.7%; in addition, governmental hospitals were shown to have the most frequent malpractices with a frequency of 50%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results reveal that malpractices in midwifery services during and after delivery are so common, leading to irreversible complications to the mothers' and neonates' health in the society. On the other hand, considering the fact that most of these malpractices are preventable, related education, pertinent plans, and proper supervision sys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beigi
authors.affiliation: Student Research Center, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery Care Research Center, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahbube
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valiani
authors.affiliation: Member of Legal Medicine Research Center Isfahan Legal Medicine Center, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fardin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mardani
keywords: Complaint; malpractices; medical council; midwifery; tems to prevent repetition of these malpractices are highly recommended