Wednesday, November 01, 20062
"We live in a very litigious society it makes it more difficult for a physician to be a good Samaritan"
Why one should never give medical advice outside of the doctor's office:
One medical liability lawyer stated that his company defends many doctors who were consulted in an informal manner, such as, at their child's Little League baseball game.
Many times in these situations, vital information is lacking, therefore, limiting the doctor's ability to give a reasoned answer. Usually, the doctor is unaware of the questioner's medical history. This information maybe important and have an impact on the answer. Also, it's difficult to do a proper physical examination sitting in the bleachers at a Little League game.
Comments
-
Gasman
My approach is to never give advise on a matter on which I will not make followup contact. This keeps me from biting off more than I can or wish to handle. It also allows a second chance to reinforce the CYA talk (see your doctor if sypmtoms persist, etc.) and to ensure that any reassurances previously offered are still warranted.
-
Anonymous
This is why I NEVER diagnose and treat over the phone- particularly in the on-call cross coverage setting. It pisses people off that I can't "just call in a prescription" for a self-diagnosed problem, but I sleep a lot better than the doctors cited in this article who were "trying to be good guys."
Post a CommentThen I make notes about my encounters and put them in a file. If anything bad ever happens I can then elect to produce those notes, or forget that they ever existed; whichever seems better at the time.
2:03 PM
3:30 PM