Date: Oct 20, 2019
Authored by Kate C. Johnson for Inside Medical Liability
Medicine is a collegial profession, in both practice and theory. Most medical professionals have likely asked or received a request for a consultation at some point in their careers. With advanced specialization comes the understanding that medical professionals may consult with other providers, especially when faced with a situation beyond the scope of his or her expertise. Seeking informal advice about patient care or an answer to an academic question from a colleague with a particularly relevant experience, improves patient care and the practice of medicine.
Yet medical professional liability (MPL) associated with such consultations has traditionally been viewed as a minimal—if not nonexistent—risk, based on the general understanding that no duty was owed to a patient unless care was provided in the context of a physician-patient relationship. Read the article.
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