Physicians are humans. Like humans, some subset of the doctor population drinks to excess, impairing function. Most doctors who drink alcohol are not in this subset. They drank sparingly, in moderation, and/or socially. If function is impaired, then arguably patients are put at risk. So, hospitals, healthcare organizations, and licensing boards have a legitimate interest … Read more
America locks up a lot of people. Approximately 2 million people are incarcerated. Also, many people have interactions with law enforcement, and they may be arrested and placed in jail pending trial. These people also get sick. What type of care are these individuals entitled to? I was made aware of this issue during a … Read more
Living wills (advance directives) help physicians navigate thorny healthcare decisions – particularly with respect to how much care is desired. And delivered. A “living will” (LST) is a legal document that outlines a person’s preferences for medical treatment in the event they become incapacitated and unable to communicate their wishes, detailing which life-sustaining treatments they want … Read more
The North Carolina Medical Board just proposed a revision to its current policy on self-treatment and prescribing to family members. It does not look dramatically different from prior policy statements. The updated policy draft was posted for comments (below). Not surprisingly, our colleagues have strong opinions. One commenter wrote: “This is my position that physicians … Read more
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a guidance document called Online Tracking Bulletin. It then revised that document. The AHA, joined by the Texas Hospital Association, Texas Health Resources, and United Regional Health Care System, sued in November 2023 arguing that HHS over-reached and that the bulletin was unlawful. This was not … Read more
Can ChatGPT craft a legal demand letter? Yes. A Medical Justice member on the west coast recently received a legal demand letter. I cannot prove it was crafted by a large language model. But it does not appear to have been written by a lawyer. At all. Some background. A plastic surgeon performed a breast … Read more
Assume you have a mostly elective practice. You still have hospital privileges, but most work you do is performed in an outpatient surgery center. You are technically on the call schedule. You rarely get called. Most calls can be handled by having the patient see you in your office the following day. Until… A patient … Read more
Stem cells offer tremendous promise. Some clinicians have put the cart before the horse, selling the treatments after making bold claims. There’s a lot of money to be made servicing the demand. Here, the Federal Trade Commission and Georgia Attorney General said enough is enough. This is how the case was captioned. CIVIL ACTION NO. … Read more
Physicians regularly complete new and renewal applications for all sorts of things. Medical licenses. Hospital privileges. Employment. In-network status with insurance carriers. Professional liability coverage. The list is long. The longer you have been in practice, the more complicated the applications. The questions cast a wide net. As exemplified in an Ohio Appellate case, Zedaker … Read more
It’s not easy being a physician. I won’t catalogue the challenges here. As Frank Sinatra once pined in “My Way”, “Regrets, I’ve had a few.” He continued, “But then again, too few to mention.” One of the main “perks” becomes obvious when you are sick. Or a loved one becomes sick. Or a friend or … Read more
