Physicians’ perception of the dimensions of obstetric and/or institutional violence

Abstract

Obstetric/institutional violence (OV/IV) is being widely discussed in Brazil and around the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception of physicians providing childbirth assistance in a public humanized maternity in Brazil on this subject. Based on a qualitative epistemological study, the data was collected by applying a questionnaire to 23 medical professionals. OV/IV was assessed by content analysis and categorized in the following dimensions: individual, institutional, and human relation. In the first dimension, OV/IV occurs in the form of dated practices, negligence, and conducts influenced by the judicialization of Medicine; in the second dimension, it refers to working and infrastructure conditions, especially the lack of hospital bed vacancies and analgesia, and an inadequate ambience; in the third and last dimension, OV/IV shows up in the asymmetries of the human relation and of the patient-doctor relationship when there are disagreements in the decision-making process.