Imagine you received a request for records from a medical malpractice attorney. Not a good start to your day. But, the clock is ticking. The statute of limitations is about to run. If the clock runs out, you’re home free. (Actually, not always the case, since the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense. You … Read more
A client recently asked our thoughts on using Alexa in the operating room. Presumably, the tasks Alexa would be charged with doing would be basic. Turn the lights on. Turn the lights off. Make a call. And so on. For those of you unfamiliar with Alexa, it is a product sold by Amazon which serves … Read more
We have previously written about medico-legal challenges related to brain death determination. The American Academy of Neurology updated its guidelines in 2010 to create more uniform determination. Its checklist is as below. There’s a checklist related to systemic information (eg: the patient is in a coma, systolic blood pressure or body temperature are not abnormally low). There’s a checklist … Read more
Not too long ago, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled on a case called in re Cassanda C. The case dealt with a mature minor; someone not quite 18, but close, and whether they are entitled to make their own medical decisions. If any reader has teenage children, you will readily appreciate they can be headstrong. … Read more
The Center for HIV Law and Policy recently published an illustrative (though not exhaustive) list of 332 arrests and prosecutions for HIV exposure in the US between 2008-2017. ‘ To illustrate but a handful: October 2017: a 28 year old man was arrested in Florida for allegedly not disclosing to sexual partners he was living … Read more
We recently blogged about a healthcare worker who was on the receiving end of a needlestick injury. The source patient agreed to be tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C. While the initial HIV test was positive, repeat testing was negative. Great news. The healthcare worker had been placed on post-exposure prophylaxis and it … Read more
A note to doctors: We are open to reviewing your consent forms for vasectomies. You definitely want to get these consent forms right – and one way to reduce your risk is to have that consent form vetted by expert counsel. Schedule a consultation with our Founder and CEO, Jeff Segal, MD, JD, by using … Read more
It’s been said the only thing certain in life is death and taxes. Tax rates vary by state. And, what may come as a surprise to many doctors, the definition of death (or how someone is declared dead) is not uniform across all 50 states. A little background. For centuries, death was straightforward. It was … Read more
While the issue has been fluid, as of the date this post was penned, the Icelandic parliament was considering a bill to outlaw male circumcision for nonmedical reasons. The bill, introduced […] by four political parties, uses the same wording as a 2005 Icelandic law banning female genital mutilation, changing the word “girls” to “children,” Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir of the centrist Progressive … Read more
The number of medico-legal landmines associated with running a practice is huge. Our cup runneth over. And most physicians are at least aware of these debacles. What most practices are blissfully unaware of: brouhahas caused by employees. A number of years ago I listened to an engaging talk by the head of Ritz Carlton. He … Read more
