Comparison of forensic reports by non-forensic specialist physicians and forensic medicine experts

This study aimed to identify the most common errors made by physicians who are not forensic medicine specialists while preparing forensic reports. The forensic investigation files of 2.321 cases for which a final report was requested between 2018 and 2022 at the Tokat Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine were reviewed for this study. Among the examined cases, 178 (7.7 %) were aged < 18 years, while among adult cases, 782 (33.6%) were female and 1361 (58.6%) were male. Among all reports, 564 (24.2%) showed discrepancies in determining whether the injury could be classified as minor and treatable with a simple medical intervention. Additionally, 214 reports (9.2%) contained different conclusions regarding whether the injury could result in a life-threatening condition. The study concluded that physicians who are not forensic medicine specialists need to acquire more knowledge of forensic report preparation to ensure accuracy in forensic documentation and prevent disruptions in the judicial process.