n January 2005, President Bush declared the medical malpractice liability system out of control.The president's speech was merely an echo of what doctors and politicians (mostly Republicans) have been saying for years - that medical malpractice premiums are skyrocketing due to an explosion in malpractice litigation. Along comes Baker, direct...

Written by an MD/JD, this book offers a unique perspective on medical-legal issues surrounding daily clinical practice. It covers all the essentials and tells the inside secrets of how to avoid cases that cost the medical community millions each year. Readers will learn basic law and the ways laws are interpreted. In addition, the book focuses on the law-medicine-politics triangle and its effect on physicians, the impact of — and issues related to — diversity in medical malpractice, and other essential topics. Physicians who better understand malpractice laws are better clinical decision makers who feel more confident in their ability as doctors.

Buy a new version of this textbook and receive access to the Connected eBook on Casebook Connect, including lifetime access to the online ebook with highlight, annotation, and search capabilities. Access also includes an outline tool and other helpful resources. Connected eBooks provide what you need most to be successful in your law school classes. Health Care Law and Ethics, Tenth Edition offers a relationship-oriented approach to health law--covering the essentials, as well as cutting-edge and controversial subjects. The book provides thoughtful and teachable coverage of all major aspects of health care law, including medical liability. Current and classic cases build logically from the fundamentals of the patient/provider relationship to the role of government and institutions in health care. The book is adaptable to both survey courses and courses covering portions of the field. New to the Tenth Edition: Length: Trimmed by 20% to enhance teachability New author: Nadia N. Sawicki Thoroughly revised coverage of: Medical liability Reproductive rights and justice Public health law Extensive coverage of issues relating to COVID-19 Supreme Court decisions on abortion and the Affordable Care Act Discussion of emerging topics, such as: Gender reassignment Artificial intelligence Revising "brain death" and the "dead donor" rule for organ transplants Work requirements under Medicaid Medical price transparency Vertical integration and cross-market mergers Benefits for instructors and students: The organization vividly presents the entwined roles of patient, provider, and state in understanding and resolving private and public health care dilemmas Scope includes all major areas of health care law and policy Coverage of classic medical liability topics remains substantial Coverage of all major emerging and conventional issues in bioethics, public health, health care finance and reform, and corporate and regulatory law More streamlined editing facilitates coverage of multiple areas or use in survey courses "The strength of the editors and the evolution of the book over a substantial period has allowed the book to become the best from which I have ever taught." Roy Spece, University of Arizona

Analyzing the level of claims for clinical negligence in the light of the most recent trends and discovering whether there is indeed a litigation crisis in healthcare, this book is a topical and compelling exploration of healthcare and doctor-patient relationships. The author: identifies and analyzes the growing pressures on doctors in modern society, placing their role in context explores some of the myths surrounding media claims about malpractice considers the practice of ‘defensive medicine’ and the difference between defensive practices and sensible risk management examines external pressures, such as political interference with clinical practice in the form of target-setting and what might be described as a culture of creeping privatization of healthcare. Covering the topics of medicine and the media and the causes of occupational stress among doctors, this volume is a must read for all students of medical law and medical ethics.

Readers will examine the views and fears that physicians have over lawsuits and how those fears affect medical care. This volume studies malpractice caps, and safe-harbor laws, and how they impact patients and doctors. It will give your readers a greater understanding of what is going on at their doctor's office, and what sort of mindfulness they should have when seeking care.

After heart disease and cancer, the third leading cause of death in the United States is iatrogenic injury (avoidable injury or infection caused by a healer). Research suggests that avoidable errors claim several hundred thousand lives every year. The principal economic counterforce to such errors, malpractice litigation, has never been a particularly effective deterrent for a host of reasons, with fewer than 3% of negligently injured patients (or their families) receiving any compensation from a doctor or hospital's insurer. Closing Death's Door brings the psychology of decision making together with the law to explore ways to improve patient safety and reduce iatrogenic injury, when neither the healthcare industry itself nor the legal system has made a substantial dent in the problem. Beginning with an unflinching introduction to the problem of patient safety, the authors go on to define iatrogenic injury and its scope, shedding light on the culture and structure of a healthcare industry that has failed to effectively address the problem-and indeed that has influenced legislation to weaken existing legal protections and impede the adoption of potentially promising reforms. Examining the weak points in existing systems with an eye to using law to more effectively bring about improvement, the authors conclude by offering a set of ideas intended to start a conversation that will lead to new legal policies that lower the risk of harm to patients. Closing Death's Door is brought to vivid life by the stories of individuals and groups that have played leading roles in the nation's struggle with iatrogenic injury, and is essential reading for medical and legal professionals, as well as lawmakers and laypeople with an interest in healthcare policy.

This book aims to analyse the legal tools that the legislatures of France, Germany and Italy adopted in order to regulate medical malpractice. In the mid-1970s, a reform movement started in the United States, where there was considerable concern about then ongoing medical malpractice crises. Since the beginning of the current century, France, Germany and Italy have passed statutes that aim to reform medical liability rules. Thus, it is first interesting to assess whether any medical malpractice crises have been identified in these systems and, second, how these have been faced through the passing of new statutes on the continent. Accordingly, the first chapter explores the idea of medical malpractice crisis and its relationship with the insurance market, also considering the reflections of American scholars. It then reconstructs the French, German and Italian legal frameworks, as well as their insurance and litigation contexts, reviewing and commenting on the quantitative evidence that was collected before the reforms. The second chapter briefly summarises the debate on medical malpractice reforms in France, Germany and Italy. It then analyses the statutes that have been passed, distinguishing between reforms that consolidate case law and reforms that introduce innovative solutions, sometimes repealing court-developed doctrines. In particular, the chapter examines in a comparative perspective the diff erent options adopted in these civil law countries with regard to the rules on liability, burden of proof, statute of limitations and damages. Moreover, the chapter examines the reforms of insurance, procedural and evidence law, to the extent they affect medical malpractice cases. The third chapter reviews and analyses the current available data related to medical malpractice litigation and insurance after the reforms adopted in France, Germany and Italy, in order to find out evidence of their effectiveness and efficiency. It also highlights some aspects of medical malpractice law that still belong to the domain of the judiciary. It finally points out which problems may be addressed by the legislatures and what further data should be collected in the future. This work may interest legal scholars, healthcare providers, insurers and policymakers.

The spectre of destructive malpractice lawsuits haunts every practicing doctor who simply wants protection and peace of mind, but most physicians find the world of malpractice confusing and wrapped in legal riddles. This book’s purpose is to explain medical malpractice concepts in everyday terms, combined with solid practical advice to help you: Protect and safeguard your medical career and practice Identify what is and isn't considered malpractice Readily comply with all legal duties required of doctors Prevent malpractice allegations and minimize liability Take control to protect assets, and minimize personal and professional losses Work with your attorneys to establish the best possible defense Walk through each clinical aspect of the patient encounter from the perspective of a malpractice attorney