He needed to learn his place BIGTIME, and FAST.

So does this Kevin MD guy appearantly

so, evan, for “hairline skull fracture, closed head injury, and possible traumatic brain injury”, what is YOUR required length of hospitalization/monitoring, and prescribed course of treatment??? a week? a month? exploratory brain surgery? continuous eeg monitoring? perhaps a one-year ICU stay at taxpayer expense followed by continuous life-long “rehab” or maybe nursing home stay?

As usual with the non-medical idiotic lay public, outcomes dictate malpractice, rather than deviation from standard of care.

The failure to diagnose the fracture. Did he fail to meet the standard of care? Did she suffer harm as a result? Unless the answer is yes on both counts, then there is no malpractice.

The discharge instructions hurt her feelings. Did he fail to meet the standard of care? Well, it is certainly within the standard of care to provide specific instructions to prevent further injury. None of the instructions would do harm if followed. The thing that looks most unorthodox is his instruction to apologize to those she hurt and to be a responsible family member. Physicians have a responsibility to minister to the body and the soul. His attempt to do so was entirely appropriate. She might have responded with reflection and repentence. The fact that she sued shows that she choose not to allow this to be a growth experience, choosing instead to shoot the messenger. The fact that his therapeutic manuver backfired does not mean it was not a worthwhile attempt.

I laud his courage in trying to address his patients obvious broader need. If only he had left some part of it unwritten, he would be better off. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished–especially if well documented.

um, maybe this is really why she’s suing?