AJR Podcasts Medicolegal Insights for Residents: AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Episode 6
Nov 27, 2024
Shailin Thomas, a radiology resident at NYU with an MD and JD from Harvard, shares valuable insights into the world of medical malpractice. He discusses the pressures radiology residents face, especially during overnight shifts. The conversation covers the legal complexities of diagnostic errors and how residency choices impact malpractice exposure. Key topics include strategies for effective documentation and communication, the importance of liability insurance, and the balance between autonomy and safety for patient care.
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Overnight Misdiagnosis Costs Half Million
- A 62-year-old woman was misdiagnosed overnight by a radiology resident, missing subsegmental pulmonary emboli, leading to a wrongful death lawsuit.
- The hospital settled for $500,000, removing the resident from the case, illustrating serious medicolegal risks for residents.
Residents' Independent Liability Risk
- Residents have some liability protection but still face malpractice risk when making independent medical judgments without attending supervision.
- Liability arises if residents independently make decisions impacting patient care, especially on overnight shifts.
Residents Held to Specialist Standard
- Recent legal standards hold residents to the same specialist standards as attending physicians in their field.
- Residents can be judged by the standard of a board-certified radiologist regardless of their training year.