ASGE Annual GI Advanced Practice Provider Course - Onboarding Day One (On-Demand) | April 2022-14_Medicolegal Aspects of Endoscopic Practice

14_Medicolegal Aspects of Endoscopic Practice - Shiels

Pdf Summary

This document discusses the medicolegal aspects of endoscopic practice in gastroenterology. The author provides an overview of legal terminology and basics of tort law, including negligence and standard of care. The document also covers physician liability for nonphysician providers, such as advanced practice providers (APPs), and offers recommendations to minimize liability risk in practice.<br /><br />The author highlights the common reasons for claims in gastroenterology, including procedural complications, failure/delay in diagnosis, and errors in diagnosis. The most common procedure generating claims in gastroenterology is colonoscopy. The document includes graphs illustrating the number and rate of claims by specialty.<br /><br />To prevent lawsuits in gastroenterology, the author suggests practicing evidence-based medicine, exercising caution with open access endoscopy, managing procedural complications appropriately, using caution with email communications, considering anesthesia support for frail or elderly patients, and carefully documenting informed consent for procedures and high-risk medications.<br /><br />The document provides two case studies to illustrate the lessons learned. Case study #1 involves a patient who insisted on an ERCP for possible sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, leading to severe post-ERCP pancreatitis and a lawsuit settled in favor of the plaintiff. The lesson learned is to avoid risky procedures when the indications are weak or absent and to ensure adequate training and expertise.<br /><br />Case study #2 involves a delay in diagnosis and inadequate supervision of a patient with a pancreatic mass, leading to the patient's death and a lawsuit settled in favor of the plaintiff. The lesson learned is to ensure adequate supervision of nonphysician providers, avoid delays in performing tests, and use caution with email communications.<br /><br />Overall, this document provides valuable information on the medicolegal aspects of endoscopic practice in gastroenterology, including strategies to minimize liability risk and specific examples of medical malpractice cases.

Keywords

medicolegal aspects

endoscopic practice

gastroenterology

physician liability

procedural complications

colonoscopy

liability risk

case studies

lawsuit

medical malpractice cases