Family Charges Physician With Neglect In Supervision Of Care
JULY 17, 2000 VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3 When a loved one is institutionalized, family members usually do not have the skills and information necessary to closely monitor the quality of care. They usually rely heavily on the advice of the patient’s physician to direct the course of treatment. In those cases where the physician becomes […]
“Informed Consent” Duty Not Satisfied When Doctor Lies
OCTOBER 11, 1999 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 15 Before undertaking any medical procedure, physicians are required to obtain the consent of the patient (except in some limited circumstances, such as medical emergencies). Under American law, it is not enough to simply get the patient’s consent, however. The consent must be “informed”—in other words, the patient must […]
Oregon Doctor Disciplined For Inadequate Treatment Of Pain
OCTOBER 4, 1999 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 14 Adequate control of pain, especially at the end of life, is a key issue in modern medical care. Increasingly doctors, nurses, patients, family members and advocates realize that death need not be physically painful. The most recent demonstration of that consensus among medical care providers comes from the […]
Decision To Forego Surgery Also Requires Patient Consent
JULY 26, 1999 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 4 Jean Matthies was eighty-one years old when she fell and broke her hip. She had been living alone in her apartment in Union City, New Jersey, and had been quite independent. She did her own shopping, cooking and housecleaning. But with a fractured hip, she could not even […]
Emergency Room Physician Must Heed Patient’s Refusal
MAY 3, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 44 Catherine Shine was terrified of doctors and hospitals, and with good reason. Ms. Shine had suffered from severe asthma her entire life, but controlled her condition largely through the use of prescription medications. Although she had lived through numerous attacks, they always seemed to follow the same course–rapid […]
