We often write about serious topics. Not today. I want to give a shout out to a site called Gomerblog. GOMER is medical slang for a patient in the emergency room who is not in need of emergency services. For those of you not old enough to remember, it first appeared in … Read more
An old joke says that the best way to keep a secret is to tell it to only one person, and that person should be dead.
All kidding aside, the greater the number of people who handle information, the more likely that confidentiality will be breached. That’s why physicians take histories and examine patients behind closed doors, in addition to employing numerous measures to safeguard their medical records.
Most parents have uttered the phrase “Because I Said So”. You know precisely what it means. You know why you said it. And, on occasion, your offspring will also know what it means.
In the medico-legal domain, experts are generally needed to make the case to the jury. They need to explain why the defendant doctor violated the standard of care; and how that violation caused damages. Many times, that opinion is supported by years of experience, the medical literature, and more. But, sometimes, the expert’s opinion propelling a meritless case boils down to ““Because I Said So”.
Most surgeons prescribe post-op narcotics to treat pain. The typical plan is a short course of narcotics followed by non-narcotic medication or no medication at all. I am not referring to complex pain or chronic pain. I am talking about a patient who in theory is not on narcotics when they see you, has surgery, … Read more
When the US was founded, is it likely our founding fathers could have anticipated this lawsuit – Dolan v. Case Pork Roll Co.? Perhaps. Ben Franklin once wrote a letter called Fart Proudly. Franklin was living abroad, serving as Ambassador to France. He opined the Royal Academy of Brussels called for too many scientific papers … Read more
Recently, I learned of a surgeon on the west coast who received a “love letter” from an attorney. By love letter, I mean a demand for several hundred thousand dollars. The surgeon took care of a patient and recommended surgical treatment. The patient did not want any down-time and opted for conservative care, fully … Read more
I am not a fan of Maintenance of Certification (MOC). I think it’s a time-suck, expensive, and does little to inform the public of much that is useful. I say this from the sidelines because my Board certification in neurosurgery was grandfathered. So, I’m one of the lucky ones. For those who were certified after … Read more
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily agree with 100% of the details of every article, I think the messages are salient, on target, and fully relevant. Please give us your feedback – and let us know if you find the series helpful. Finally, these articles are not intended as specific legal advice. For that, please consult with attorney licensed to practice in your state.
A recent poll on the physician networking site Sermo asked an interesting question: What stresses you the most about a lawsuit?
1,927 doctors responded. 37% feared losing the case. 33% thought that they would end up second-guessing their abilities. 25% focused on being reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank. 5% thought that their peers would criticize them.
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily … Read more
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily … Read more
