Percepciones sobre los informes médico-periciales como instrumento procesal, por parte de las/los operadores y auxiliares de justicia en la ciudad de Cuenca - Ecuador, al año 2022

Abstract

Medical-expert reports are support instruments in judicial cases and are essential for the decision-making of justice operators. Its structure is of great interest and it is considered important to know the perceptions of its elements by those who must use them within judicial processes.To understand the perceptions of medical-legal reports as a procedural instrument by justice operators and assistants in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, in the year 2022. Qualitative and phenomenological study that allowed us to understand the structural elements of the medical-expert reports. The population included doctors-experts and justice operators from the different Judicial Units of the Cuenca canton. The semi- structured interview, designed and validated within the framework of the same research, with a total of 10 open questions was used as an instrument for collecting information. The data were analyzed with the Atlas.ti program. The results showed an equal distribution between men (44,44%) and women (55,56%) in the group of judges, mostly between the ages of 45 and 52. The participants advocated for more detailed reports, intensified collaboration between judicial units and the Prosecutor's Office, a "single language of care" and specific protocols to improve the efficiency and quality of medical-expert reports.The relevance of expert medical reports in the different legal processes is evident. However, obstacles are also evident in being able to prepare medical reports, in a way that affects the Justice System and the victims.