Legal

A unicorn is a mythical creature. It does not exist.   Which brings me to Press Ganey scores.   For those of you entirely immune to the numeric patient satisfaction benchmarks, Press Ganey is eponymous with HCAHPS scores mandated by CMS. HCAHPS was initially rolled out to allow comparisons between institutions providing inpatient care. How satisfied are patients receiving care at … Read more

Here’s a question that perplexes many plaintiff’s attorneys. I hear it all the time.   Why do doctors take medical malpractice so personally?   Why do doctors treat medical malpractice differently than being in an auto accident? Shouldn’t we just turn it over to our carriers and be done with it? I don’t think myself the worst … Read more

Recently, we published a piece by Dr. Rada Jones on the 68 Laws of the ER. She returns now for prescient and timely advice to patients on how to stay out of the ER. The best way to do her post justice is to present it as is without editorial or comment. Enjoy! I’m an … Read more

“Doc, how long do I have to live?” When a patient has a difficult diagnosis, they want answers. That’s reasonable. They want to know how to structure the time they have left. Why? Priorities change. They want to get their affairs in order. It’s also a question that determines whether a patient qualifies for government … Read more

I have never understood why some women spontaneously become pen pals and virtual lovers with violent felons currently incarcerated. Some even marry the object of their desire. This behavior is not dissimilar to a recent Facebook group launched in support of Dr. Johnnie Barto, a Johnstown, Pennsylvania pediatrician. Dr. Barto was recently sentenced to 79 … Read more

C. difficile is a thorny problem for hospitalized patients because physicians have generously prescribed progressively stronger broad spectrum antibiotics, killing off good bacteria, making it easier for the bad bacteria to proliferate. The condition affects 500,000 Americans each year and takes 30,000 lives. When yogurt and standard probiotics don’t stop the diarrhea (and there is … Read more

Many aesthetic surgeons and dentists use before and after photos on their web site to market their practices. They are demonstrating to the public at large what they can reasonably expect if they select their practice. They are more than just plain vanilla images. They are photos of patients who have given permission to use … Read more

Ever heard of TCPA? Most people haven’t. It stands for Telephone Consumer Protection Act. And it’s the second most frequent federal lawsuit after employment law claims. And now a medspa is on the receiving end. Simply put, it’s a cash cow for plaintiff’s attorneys. And why not? As Willie Sutton once opined… he robbed banks because … Read more