--
Richard Chudacoff, MD, FACOG
-----Original Message-----
From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net]On Behalf Of Anna
Meenan, MD
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 7:34 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Re: malpractice case - conclusion
On the flip side of that, i often catch flak from pts because the policy
in our office is that we will never do "just a pregnancy test" without a
consultation. If a pt wants just a test, she can go to the local
pharmacy and buy one. If she wants my expert opinion on the
implications for her of a positive test or a negative one, she can come
into the office and I will be paid for my expertise. Don't know if I
would call it standard of care, but it works for us.
Anna Meenan, MD
It's amazing to me that anyone would think it appropriate to sue a doc
for just telling the husband of a pt who collapsed to call 911, or to
sue a doc who does a laparoscopy when his pt gets an ectopic 2 years
later. But then, this is the USA so what can one expect?
At Sun, 27 Jan 2002, RModugno@aol.com wrote:
>
>In this case, three physicians were sued - the physician who had done the
>laparoscopy 2 years before, the physician who was in the office the day she
>was in the office, and the on call physician who advised calling 911.
>
>Subsequently, a forth physician - the owner of the practice and his
>corporation was sued, and the other three physicians were dropped from the
>suit.
>
>It was the contention of the plaintiff that it was the standard of care
that
>the nurse should have read the chart, shown it to the physician in the
>office, determined that the patient was at risk for an ectopic and then
>followed with serial hcgs, ultrasounds, etc.
>
>Some questions still remain in my mind:
>
>1) Is it below the standard of care to see the patient for a "pregnancy
test
>only", then set her up for an appointment in three weeks time when she is
one
>week late for her menses after giving her instructions outlining the
symptoms
>of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy? Do you all do as Geff does and see
all
>patients who come in for a pregnancy test on that day no matter the length
of
>gestation?
>2) Was failure to read her chart below the standard of care?
>3) Joe said it best - that stupidity is not criminal. However it is with
the
>greatest "degree of medical certainty " that this woman would have survived
>if her acute symptoms had been reported earlier.
>
>Steve Ory MD, nationally-renowned for his work on ectopic prgnancy was a
>defense expert for this case.
>
>Thanks for your replies.
>
>Robert Modugno MD MBA FACOG
>Marietta, GA
