One of many tips from a new hospitalist. This one is especially poignant in this litigious day and age:
Call in consultants. It bothers me to call in the GI folks for every case of diverticulitis and the endocrinologists for all uncontrolled diabetics, but that’s what I do now. As one of my partners told me, “Just because you can take care of a patient’s problem doesn’t mean you can justify that in a court of law. If something goes wrong and the lawyers ask you if you had opportunity to call in a specialist, then you’re screwed.”
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- Midwives don’t carry malpractice insurance
- First night on call
- A juror faints, the defendants rush to help: A mistrial in the Charlie Weis case
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