Medical malpractice issues through the eyes of a physician

In this issue: More sensitive troponin test may lead to better diagnosis of heart attacks Radiology jobs not easily outsourced to India. There’s an app for that. Will a lawsuit follow? Current guidelines may prevent healthcare malpractice solution from succeeding More sensitive troponin test may lead to better diagnosis of heart attacks The Los Angeles […]

Proximate cause: No harm, no foul? By Charles A. Pilcher MD FACEP In the course of nearly 3 decades of reviewing medical records for both plaintiff and defense attorneys, I find the most challenging of the 4 elements necessary for a successful malpractice lawsuit to be “proximate cause” or “causation.” This is often the Achilles […]

Perspective: Practice guidelines always help your case – maybe not By Charles A. Pilcher MD FACEP David O’Dell MD JD has written a nice summary of the topic of guidelines and their value in medical malpractice cases in the January 10 edition of Medical Economics. This newsletter  discussed the value of “Guidelines” in an earlier […]

In this issue: Perspective: OOPS! Why do doctors make diagnostic errors? Surgical errors still occurring “far too often” despite protocols Patients trust a CT scan 4 times more than they trust the doctor “Handoffs:” Reducing the error of a high-risk practice Perspective: OOPS! Why do doctors make diagnostic errors? By Charles A. Pilcher MD FACEP […]

In this issue: Perspective: Health reform & why we vote the way we do, by Leo Greenawalt, CEO, Washington State Hospital Association OK to delay surgery for appendicitis Death rate from strokes in US hospitals falls 26%… REALLY??? ABCD3-I Score May Improve Risk Stratification After Transient Ischemic Attack. Medical care guidelines are good, but only […]

Perspective: Medical Malpractice and Healthcare Reform By Charles A. Pilcher MD FACEP Over the past year I have been involved in many discussions with doctors, healthcare executives, elected officials, plaintiff and defense attorneys and others about healthcare reform. At a recent Swedish Hospital 100th Birthday Symposium on “Innovation in the Age of Reform,” an array […]

In this issue: Perspective: Should consent to life-saving procedures have a “sunset clause?” Neutral radiologists fail to detect x-ray abnormalities found by “experts” Disclosing errors reduces claims and costs for hospitals Personalize informed consent gives more specific risk estimates Electronically Stored Information a potentially huge cost in the litigation of medical malpractice issues. Camp Korey: […]

In this issue: Perspective: Avandia – What’s the risk? Conflict of interest: Can a defense attorney’s former client testify as a plaintiff expert in a later case he is defending? Prostate cancer and PSA: If and when to test The “how” matters when gauging risk after suicide attempt New York project seeks to cut malpractice […]

In this issue: Perspective: Is a ruptured appendix evidence of malpractice? Florida ruling jeopardizes EMS services nationwide Diagnostic or screening mammogram? Whose call is it? X-Rays of hip and pelvis miss 1/3 of fractures. OOPS. Nurse settles for $1 million just before jury returns defense verdict Fatal medication errors increase in July at teaching hospitals […]

Does improving patient safety reduce malpractice claims? Rand Corporation study says “yes.” tPA for stroke: Give it early, but up to 4.5 hours now safe Medical records turned over in response to grand jury subpoena in criminal case. Wrong! Paramedic disciplined by physician supervisor sues physician Georgia ED docs liable only for “gross negligence” Has […]

Perspective: Strolling blissfully down the garden path… Autism lends itself to questionable medical practices VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean Section) is safe Perspective: Strolling blissfully down the garden path… “Always trust your first impression.” We’ve all heard it time and time again, but is it really true? Especially in medicine, should it ever be true? […]

In this issue: Perspective: The IME: Does time heal all wounds? FDA issues warning on long-acting asthma meds What are the chances? Explaining risk to patients Good Samaritan defense depends on the circumstances Emotional injury triggers lawsuits more often than negligence. Business model of patient safety challenged. Are the monitors being monitored? Patient dies when […]

Perspective: Would “no fault” be a better way? By Charles A. Pilcher MD FACEP Last month I reported on the defense verdict in the case of a Bellingham woman left with brain damage as a result of a surgical complication. The case bothers me. The patient’s injuries were major and her family devastated. Future expenses […]

In this issue: Feedback to hospitals on performance fails to improve quality of cardiac care Is a physician’s disciplinary history pertinent? Nebraska says “Yes.” Killer in your office? So what? Feedback to hospitals on performance fails to improve quality of cardiac care The value of hospital incident reports submitted to the State of Washington has […]

CONTENTS: What about small cases? Physicians report far fewer errors than actually occur What happens with small cases? How can the patient without the million dollar injury find justice? << CLICK HERE >> Physicians report far fewer errors than actually occur Does this surprise anyone? With most medical errors being subjective rather than objective, failure […]

CONTENTS: Who me? How I became an expert witness Is “hot-tubbing” an answer? Frivolous lawsuits? Who Me? How I Became an Expert Witness The author of this bulletin retraces his journey as an expert medical witness << HERE >> Expert testimony: On the hot seat, or in the hot tub? Our current system of resolving […]