en Health Management and Economics Health Management and Economics Review Article Review Article <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;</b><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp; Background: </span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">Defensive medicine (DM) refers to any medical examination or treatment performed primarily to shield the physician from potential negligence or medical malpractice claims.&nbsp; DM has several negative consequences: rising healthcare costs, diminishing the quality of healthcare delivery, and lowering job satisfaction among physicians. This study presents available evidence through a scoping review of research focused on DM and healthcare costs.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Methods:</b> The scoping review method was employed in this study. All articles pertaining to DM from 2000 to 2023 were examined in relevant databases using appropriate keywords. Thematic analysis and MAXQDA software were utilized for data analysis.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; Results:</span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal"> A total of 29 articles were examined in this study. The studies were published between 2006 and 2022 and were distributed as follows: 18 studies in the United States, 3 studies in Italy, and 1 study each in Jordan, China, Kenya, the UK, India, Belgium, Austria, and Australia. Based on the study questions, the findings were subsequently categorized into 3 main groups: (1) DM and standard of care; (2) DM and healthcare demands; and (3) DM and healthcare costs.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Conclusion:</b> DM has become a common issue in the healthcare system and has caused complications for patients and doctors. Studies show that DM has increased direct and indirect costs for the healthcare system. It is suggested that more studies be conducted to estimate the costs of DM, especially in countries with limited health resources.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Defensive Medicine, Malpractice, Healthcare, Cost, Scoping review 854 861 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-8963-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Soheila Rajaie so.rajaie1991@gmail.com 200319475328460089624 200319475328460089624 No Research Center for Emergency and Disaster Resilience, Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran Samad Azari samadazari1010@gmail.com 200319475328460089625 200319475328460089625 No Hospital Management Research Center, Health Management Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Fereshte Karimi fereshtek69@gmail.com 200319475328460089626 200319475328460089626 Yes Research Center for Emergency and Disaster Resilience, Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran