ED Legal Letter – May 1, 2007
May 1, 2007
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Patient care decision making at end of life: Law lags behind medical advances
The body of law that deals with end-of-life decision making is hardly settled law. Because the welfare of citizens is largely the concern of individual states, judicial decisions regarding end-of-life issues in health care vary among the states. -
Moonlighting residents may risk errors, lawsuits
Are residents in training who moonlight in emergency departments (EDs) more likely to experience clinical errors and oversights? The answer is a definite "yes," say experts. -
Are moonlighting residents more difficult to defend?
Whenever a resident is sued in a malpractice case, the plaintiff's counsel can label that doctor as a student whose training is incomplete. -
When prescribing for a colleague, document
Writing prescriptions for colleagues or their family members is done commonly by some ED physicians, but this carries significant legal risks. -
Missed diagnoses in ED stem from complex causes
Missed diagnoses in the ED are typically the result of multiple breakdowns in the diagnostic process, with several contributing factors, according to a new study. -
Special Report: Inadequate pain management: A growing liability risk
The appropriate management of pain by medical professionals is becoming an increasingly popular topic of discussion and litigation.