Ethicists and medical scholars agree that adverse medical events should be disclosed to patients and families. However, defining what constitutes a medical error can be difficult.
Richard George Boudreau, a maxillofacial surgeon, bioethicist, attorney, and forensic expert, examines medical errors and adverse medical events - as well as how apologies and disclosures can actually reduce litigation costs. Get the answers to questions such as:
- Why is litigation the wrong way to deal with medical error?
- What has led to the medical culture of deny and defend?
- How can disputes be resolved without litigation?
- Can communication and resolution programs be more effective?
The book contains a history of medicine, medical errors, and litigation; outlines what philosophers have said about medical error; and contains case studies on what to do and what not to do.
About the Author: Richard George Boudreau is a maxillofacial surgeon, bioethicist, attorney at law, and forensic expert who serves on the faculty of the U.C.L.A. Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He has earned numerous academic credentials and has several fellowships. He volunteers as a teacher and is passionate about health care, law, theology, philosophy, education, and public policy. He is also the author of Bioethics Perspective of the Feasibility and Implementation of an Existential Psychoanalytic Praxis Addressing End-of-Life Care in the Elderly; Incorporating Bioethics Education into School Curriculums, and US Universal Health Care in 2020.
