Beth,
Both you and Maurice raise good points about "hospital" humor. A patient should never be in a position of thinking that physicians (or anyone else in the hospital for that matter) are laug hing...
Maurice,
There is no question that any humor involving disease and/or disabilities will cause some people to feel uncomfortable and even emotional pain. That is also true of any other humor. Eth nic...
There is one thing I've learned through all my years as a physician, an attorney, and as a patient - if you can't laugh at yourself, you have more problems than just an illness. A joke that is made in general...
First, I don't think that this initial discovery of the use of an unproven method of treatment rises to the level of child abuse at this time, and any reporting would be premature. There was no intent to...
Maurice,
The question of "priviledge" is a complex one and dependent, not only upon the profession involved, but upon the juridiction the answer concerns. Different states have different rules, but...
There are two answers to your question, and they are inherent within the question itself. As physicians and scientists, we can make certain determinations involving fetal development, as well as its i mplications...
Maurice,
First, those who favored the law were unconcerned about the consequences. They had a political and religious agenda that needed to be satisfied. I suspect they thought they could deal w ith...
Maurice,
Now that the vote has failed in Mississippi, I believe it is easier to discuss the potential implications of such a law without as much emotional baggage to taint the discussion.Also, b efore...
Maurice,
The situation in Law is much simpler. The code of professional conduct, or what is referred to as "Professional Responsibility" (the standards) is codified both as a model code, and wit hin...
Maurice,
There is a much more fundamental difference between the practices of Medicine and Law. There is no adversary in Medicine but disease. We are all on the side of the patient. Winning, unl ike...
Maurice,
Since our legal system is defined as an adversarial system, the definition of a "good lawyer" is simple. A good lawyer is one who zealously represents his or her client while maintainin g...
I would add one thing to your explanation though. If you deviate from the standard of care, make sure you document why you are doing it, how it is expected to benefit the pat ient...
Intent may play a large role in the decision, but it is not the only factor. Take the case of a surgeon who operates on a patient while drunk. His intent may be to help, but he is well aware of his se lf...
Intent may play a large role in the decision, but it is not the only factor. Take the case of a surgeon who operates on a patient while drunk. His intent may be to help, but he is well aware of his se lf...
Maurice,
A crime is not defined by how many counts there are (i.e. how many times it is committed). Establishing a pattern of gross negligence for a physician may well be important for a number of...
Maurice,
Absent specific legislation enabling physicians to follow a patient's wishes where the outcome is expected to be deleterious to the patient (e.g. assisted suicide), the law tends to loo k...
Maurice,
Since it is early in the thread of this discussion, I will not attempt a long dissertation regarding the elements of involuntary manslaughter. As a beginning, let's concentrate on the t erm...
Maurice,
The answer to your question, like most anwers in law, is not straight forward. In fact, it may well be that it will be litigated somewhere for just the reasons you stated. With that bei ng...
Maurice,
When I am in court, or a hearing, or another "legal" context, it is a mixed bag. Sometimes I am referred to as "doctor," but most times as "mister." More importantly, though, when I am referred...
Maurice,
I think the answer to this question is obvious. In a clinical setting everyone should be required to wear name badges with their professional degrees on them. That way, the patients wil l...
I believe this is more of a question of personal ethics and morals than one for law or societal values. The simple fact is that the marriage "contract" is really more of a recitation of personal vows or...
Maurice, no person should be deprived of their right to say "no" to anything done to their bodies or minds. Since the results of experimental treatments are, by definition, unknown, it would be absurd to...
The question posed is not merely what criteria should be used to decide upon who should be first in line for a compatible organ, but also how do we place a value upon each life. Is the life of someone with...
Maurice,
This is one of those questions for which the exceptions will probably define the rule. Most thinking people would probably agree that morality is, in most cases, a relative concept. Thi s...
Maurice,
First, I agree that the issue of abortion is, indeed, one that involves all three areas depending upon who is answering the question. However, since religion is personal, non-testable, and...
Kim, there is a single but immensely important difference; the choice of whether to take the lethal dose of a drug is made by the prisoner and not the state. A prisoner who is executed has no choice i n...
Actually, Maurice, it is even simpler than that. Congress or a state legislature can simply vote to authorize their purchase of the drugs or, if the statute is written broadly enough, give an agency t he...
Maurice,
I don't believe there are any exceptions that would justify a physician taking part in an execution. As someone who believes the death penalty should become one more nearly forgotten re lic...