A California appellate court has ruled that an expert’s declaration that a hospital followed a physician’s orders to monitor two troubled young patients was not enough to establish that the facility met its duty to a patient who claimed he was sexually assaulted by his roommate.

Many physicians feel they are not well informed about the indications, risks, benefits, and side effects of medical cannabis. Considering the inconsistency with federal and state laws and the mixed messages between legislation and government action, it is easy to see why most physicians have opted to avoid the issue until the confusion clears.

Effective July 1, 2018, Senate Bill 97 creates a mandatory requirement that a health provider that diagnoses or provides treatment to a patient with Parkinson's disease must report each case of Parkinson’s disease to the California Department of Public Health.

In part 1 of our article for Healthcare Risk Management (HRM), we outlined the issues of informed consent and informed refusals and what steps to take to protect your practice. In part 2 of our article, CAP’s Risk Management and Patient Safety Department will list the strategies and safeguards to have in place when working with advanced healthcare professionals.

Gordon Ownby, general counsel of the Cooperative of American Physicians, offers examples of litigated cases which may have been avoided had physicians trusted their initial instincts in treating their patients.