The Medicolegal Toolkit consists of a series of modules of varying duration, which utilize assorted methods of instruction ranging from formal didactics, to group activities, to asynchronous exercises, for residency programs to incorporate into their curriculum as needed. The topics contained within the toolkit include:
- Decision-making capacity
- Good Samaritan laws
- Liability insurance
- Medical malpractice
- Medico-legal documentation
- Regulatory mandates
- Risk mitigation
- Root cause analysis
Each module comes with all of the material necessary for utilization at your program, as well as a list of pre-reading resources, an instructor’s guide which provides explicit detail as to implementation, and a summary handout for learners to take home with them after the session.
| TOPIC & CONTENTS | TIME | PRE-READING | MATERIALS | INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE | SUMMARY HANDOUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision-Making CapacityGroup Exercise | 1 hour | Appelbaum PS. Assessment of patients’ competence to consent to treatment. N Engl J Med. 2007; 357:1834-184Schwartz N. Medical decision-making capacity in the ED. July 2, 2018. http://epmonthly.com/article/medical-decision-making-capacity-in-the-ed/ | Discussion Guide DownloadCases Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Good Samaritan LawsDidactic | 1 hour | McGrane K, Moore GP, Cookman L. Special report: Good Samaritan law and the emergency physician: where are you covered? Relias Media. 2009; 1-7. Stewart PH, Agin WS, Douglas SP. What does the law say to good Samaritans? Chest. 2013; 143(6): 1774-1783. | PowerPoint Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Liability InsuranceDidactic | 30 min | AAEM. (2013, March 04). Episode 2: Key Contract Terms. Emergency Physician Advocates: Medical-legal issues in emergency medicine. Retrieved from https://www.aaem.org/UserFiles/WoodPodcast1edited.mp3AAEM. (2013, May 08). Episode 4: Asset Protection. Emergency Physician Advocates: Medical-legal issues in emergency medicine. Retrieved from https://www.aaem.org/UserFiles/media/aaem-podcast-episode-4.mp3 Jena, A, et. al. (2011). Malpractice Risk According to Physician Specialty. New England Journal of Medicine. 365:629-636. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1012370 | PowerPoint Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Medical MalpracticeAsynchronous Module | 1 hour | Zane RD. The legal process. Emerg Med Clin N Am. 2009;27:583-592. Studdert DM, Mello MM, Brennan TA. Medical malpractice. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(3). Kuhn W. Malpractice and emergency medicine. Emergency Medicine Reports. 1990;11(2). Carlon JN Foster KM, Pines JM ert al. Provider and practice factors associated with emergency physicians’ being named in a malpractice claim. Ann Emer Med. 2018;71:157- 164. | PowerPoint Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Medico-Legal DocumentationDidacticChart Review Exercise | 45 min45 min | Top 10 Principles on How to Avoid Getting Sued Grassie C, Nauss M, Schmitz G, et al., ACEP Medical Legal Committee.Top 10 principles on how to avoid getting sued in emergency medicine: an information paper. American College of Emergency Physicians. October 2013.Top Ten Documentation Mistakes Video presentation of Dr. Greg Henry and Dr. Gillian Schmitz discussing the top ten documentation mistakes. American College of Emergency Physicians. April 2017. | Chart Review ToolPowerPoint Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Regulatory MandatesDidacticGroup Exercise | 30 min30 min | EMTALA Fact Sheet. (2009). ACEP.org. [online] Available at: https://www.acep.org/life-as-a-physician/ethics–legal/emtala/emtala-fact-sheet/#sm.0001k7is7419ujduuu2gdoenk5g53Moskop JC, Marco CA, Larkin GL, Geiderman JM, Derse AR. From Hippocrates to HIPAA: privacy and confidentiality in emergency medicine–Part I: conceptual, moral, and legal foundations. Ann Emerg Med. 2005 Jan;45(1):53-9.Moskop JC, Marco CA, Larkin GL, Geiderman JM, Derse AR. From Hippocrates to HIPAA: privacy and confidentiality in emergency medicine–Part II: Challenges in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2005 Jan;45(1):60-7. Review. PMID: 15635312.Zibulewsky J. (2001). The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA): what it is and what it means for physicians. Proceedings (Baylor University Medical Center), 14(4), 339-46. | Case DownloadCase AnswersPowerPoint Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Risk MitigationDidactic with Group Exercise | 45 min | https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/upshot/to-be-sued-less-doctors-should-talk-to-patients-more.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/well/live/doctors-errors-apologies.html https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2139 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1201002/ | PowerPoint Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |
| Root Cause AnalysisDidacticsGroup Exercises | 1.5 hours2.5 hours | AHRQ Patient Safety Primer/Systems Approach: https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primers/primer/21/systems-approachAHRQ Patient Safety Primer/RCA: https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primers/primer/10/Root-Cause-AnalysisCMS Guidance for Performing RCA: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/provider-enrollment-and-certification/qapi/downloads/guidanceforrca.pdf | Didactics DownloadQ&A Forms DownloadTimeline DocumentsResults DownloadCXR 1 DownloadCXR 2 DownloadEKG Paced Download | Instructors Guide Download | Handout Download |