Lessons Learned: Risk Management Issues in Genetic Counseling / Edition 1

by Susan Schmerler

Overview

Lessons Learned Risk Management Issues in Genetic Counseling Susan Schmerler, Children's Hospital of St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Paterson, New Jersey Malpractice suits are filed every day. Even the most experienced practitioners are not immune to potentially career-ending malpractice charges. With so much at stake, how do you avoid lawsuits and protect yourself against legal action? Susan Schmerler, a lawyer and expert witness, as well as a respected genetic counselor for more than 30 years, will help you survive and thrive in today's litigious society. The only book devoted exclusively to this specialty, Lessons Learned details the risk management issues involved in genetic counseling practice, and offers solid strategies for minimizing the risk of costly, career-damaging malpractice suits. Schmerler clearly identifies areas of practitioner liability and demonstrates how they may be averted, so counselors can better manage their practice while lowering the risk of legal action. Examples drawn from relevant court cases illustrate typical issues in malpractice, negligence, and breach of contract suits. With this in-depth knowledge, readers can refine their goals toward increased self-protection as well as client care. Included in the coverage:
• Sources of liability in genetic counseling practice.
• Case examples involving wrongful birth/life, confidentiality, billing, supervision issues.
• Anatomy of a malpractice suit—obligations, duties, standards, defense.
• Proper documentation.
• Guidelines for professional response to lawsuits.
• Plus helpful summaries, charts, tables, graphics, and online research ideas. This is must reading for genetic counselors and trainees. But the lessons of Lessons Learned extend far beyond the field, making the book a significant resource for health care risk managers and administrators, attorneys, marriage and family counselors, and other professionals in psychology

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387721743
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	10/10/2007
Edition description:	2008
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.24(d)

About the Author

Susan Schmerler is a genetic counselor and supervisor in the Section of Genetics at the Children’s Hospital of St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Paterson, New Jersey. Her academic post is as Associate in Pediatrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry-New Jersey Medical School. She is on the Board of Directors of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, where she serves as Chair of the Education Committee. From 1999 through 2003, she was the Chair of the Credentials Committee of the American board of Genetic Counseling.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- 2 Sources of Liability.- 2.1 Forms of Legal Complaints.- 2.1.1 Tort Law.- 2.1.2 Fraud.- 2.1.3 Contract Law.- 2.2 Legal Initiatives.- 2.2.1 Federal Regulations.- 2.2.2 State Regulations.- 2.2.3 Criminal Complaints.- 2.2.4 Organizational Requirements.- 2.3 Private Practice.- 2.3.1 Partnerships.- 2.3.2 Billing.- 2.4 Industry/Technology.- 2.5 Reproductive Technology.- 2.6 Research.- 2.6.1 Human Subjects.- 2.6.2 Gene Transfer.- 2.6.3 Clinical Testing on Research Samples.- 2.6.4 Institutional Review Boards.- 2.6.5 Epidemiology.- 2.7 Trainees.- 3 Duty as an Element of a Lawsuit:.- 3.1 Duty Element.- 3.2 Establishing a Professional Relationship.- 3.2.1 Abandonment.- 3.3 Obligations and Duties.- 3.3.1 Standard of Care.- 3.3.2 Specialty Practitioners.- 3.3.3 Good Practice.- 3.3.4 Nongeneticists Providing Genetic Services.- 4 Duty as an Element of a Lawsuit: .- 4.1 Test for a Standard.- 4.2 Sources for Standards .- 4.2.1 Scope of Practice:.- 4.2.2 Code of Ethics.- 4.2.3 Professional Organizations.- 4.2.4 Professional Literature.- 4.2.5 Professional Guidelines.- 4.2.6 Credentials.- 4.2.7 Expert testimony.- 5 Duty as an Element of a Lawsuit:.- 5.1 Medical Records.- 5.1.1 Chart Contents.- 5.1.2 Ownership.- 5.1.3 Storage of Medical Records.- 5.1.4 Shadow Charts.- 5.2 Failure to FollowPolicies and Procedures.- 5.2.1 Informed Consent.- 5.2.2 Confidentiality.- 5.3 Improper Techniques.- 5.3.1 Nondirective.- 5.3.2 Nonjudgmental/Value Neutral.- 5.3.3 Transcultural Competency.- 5.3.4 Defenses for the Duty Element.- 6 Breach, Causation and Damages as Elements of a Lawsuit.- 6.1 Breach .- 6.1.1 Decision Makers.- 6.1.2 Defense to Breach Element.- 6.2 Causation.- 6.2.1 Remote Causation.- 6.2.2 Proximate Cause.- 6.2.3 Informed Consent Cases.- 6.2.4 Defense to the Causation Element.- 6.3 Damages.- 6.3.1 General Damages.- 6.3.2 Compensatory Damages.- 6.3.3 Noneconomic Damages.- 6.3.4 Punitive Damages.- 6.3.5 Assessing Damages.- 6.3.6 Defense to the Damage Element.- 7 Defenses to a Lawsuit.- 7.1 Helping Yourself .- 7.2 Affirmative Defenses to Malpractice Lawsuits.- 7.2.1 Statute of Limitations.- 7.2.2 Contributory Negligence.- 7.2.3 Comparative Negligence.- 7.2.4 Assumption of the Risks.- 7.2.5 Good Samaritan Statute.- 7.2.6 Indemnity or Release.- 7.3 Countersuits.- 7.3.1 Malicious Prosecution.- 7.3.2 Abuse of Process.- 7.3.3 Defamation.- 7.3.4 Negligence.- 7.3.5 Intentional Torts.- 8 Communication.- 8.1 Face-to-Face.- 8.2 Electronic Communication.- 8.2.1 Internet.- 8.3 Privacy.- 8.3.1 Transmission of Information.- 8.4 Managing Your Malpractice Exposure in Cyberspace.- 9 Conclusions: Lessons Learned .- 9.1 Defensive Practice.- 9.2 Advice from Experience.- Appendix.- A.1 Definition of Genetic Counseling.- A.1.1 1975.- A.1.2 2006.- A.2 Scope of Practice.- A.3 The Code of Ethics of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.- A.4 Suggested Readings.- Notes.- Index .-

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"Schmerler, a genetic counselor with a law degree in risk management, has written a clear, thorough guide to the bracing reality of legal issues for genetic counselors. Sources of liability are broken down into the different types of legal complaints, legal initiatives, private practice issues, technology, research, and trainees. … Appendices round out the volume with definitions of genetic counseling from 1975 and 2006, scope of practice, the code of ethics, a bibliography, and glossary." (www.booknews.com, April, 2008)

"Susan Schmerler has developed an invaluable resource for genetic counselors at all levels of experience. ... The book is well referenced and is written in a very clear, understandable language, with minimal use of “legalese” ... [and] is a must read for genetic counselors and genetic counseling students." (Nancy Callanan, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, MS Genetic Counseling Program, J Genet Counsel. 2008)

From the Publisher