The Commercialisation of Private Healthcare in Malaysia

Examining the Impact of Revenue Pressures and Defensive Medicine on Doctor's Professional Autonomy

Bibliographic Data

ID19516693
AuthorsAstrid Sinarti Hassan (0000-0002-1875-6223, Universiti Teknologi MARA, corresponding author), Rafiz Abdul Rani (0000-0001-5834-2941, Universiti Teknologi MARA)
Year2026
Publication date2026-05-15
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDeveloping World Bioethics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1471-8731 • E-ISSN: 1471-8847
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/dewb.70034
PMID42139597
OpenAlexW7161295924
LanguageEN
References cited21

The commercialisation of Malaysia's private healthcare sector has intensified conflicts between doctor's professional autonomy and financial pressures, raising ethical and legal concerns. Private practitioners increasingly face incentives to prioritise revenue‐generating treatments, leading to defensive medicine, excessive testing and escalating healthcare costs. These financial and legal pressures undermine clinical independence, shifting the doctor‐patient relationship toward a transactional model. This study employs a qualitative analytical approach to examine how financial imperatives shape medical decision‐making and defensive practices in Malaysia's private healthcare sector. By assessing revenue‐driven policies, litigation risks and their impact on professional autonomy, the analysis highlights the need for standardised guidelines, interdisciplinary collaboration and transparency in decision‐making. Strengthening regulatory safeguards is crucial to preserving medical ethics while ensuring financial sustainability in private healthcare

Autonomy · Corporate governance · Health care · Incentive · Private sector · Professional ethics · Revenue · Transactional leadership · Transparency (behavior) · Healthcare Policy and Management · Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues · Pharmaceutical industry and healthcare

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