Legal Medicine Flashcards
Medical jurisprudence
Laws, rules and doctrines, legal opinions of the authority regarding the governance and regulation of the practice of medicine
The practice of medicine is a right or privilege?
Privilege
Law that governs the medical prac in the Philippines?
Medical act of 1959; as amended.
Natural law :
Divine law :
Moral law :
- Rational thinking
- 10 commandments
- Conscience
Substantive law:
Procedural law:
- Rights and obligations ofpeople in their daily lives between each other and society
- Substantive rights and duties are enforced: litigation criminal.
Public Law
Private Law
- Between state and subjecet; state’s political and sovereign capacity
- Relationship between 2 individuals.
Practice of medicine is based on the _________ power of the state
- Police
The govt should be able to protect the citizens from stupid doctors.
The nature of the contract between patient and physician consensual and fiduciary.
Meaning?
- Consensual: both consent to it
2. Fiduciary: based on trust and confidence.
Types of contractual relationships
- Expressed
- Implied contract
- Expressed: oral OR writing
2. Inferred (patient at doctors clinic, unconscious in ER)
The contract is “commenced” when?
- Invitation of physician
- Patient agrees
- Physician treats
Special NO RELATIONSHIP
- Pre employment PE
- Eligibility of insurance
- MD appointed by court to examine
- Surgeon performing autopsy
- Casual questions asked
Patterns of relationship
- Activity passivity
- Guided cooperation
- Mutual participation
- All doctor no input from patient
- Patient fully cooperates with doctor
- Equal, jammy/unsympathetic
Duties in the physician patient relationship
- Average MD knowledge
- Ordinary care and diligence
- Best judgment
- Utmost good faith
Duties of a patient
- Honest medical history
- Cooperate follow the instructions of the doctor
- Give feedback on the treatment
- State if he understands the treatemtn
- Exercise prudence of an ordinary patient
INHERENT Rights of a physician
- To choose patients WAIVED if in an emergency: loss to life and limb
- Limit the field of practice
- Determine appropriate management
- Avail of hospital services: clinic vs hospital; private vs public
INCIDENTAL rights
- Right of way
- Exemption from execution of instruments and library
- Hold public or private offices
- Right to compensation
- Right to membership in medical societies.
Unethical fees include
- Contingent fee
- Dichotomous fee/ splitting/ commission
- Pakyaw / straight fee
- Depends on success of treatment
- Self explanatory
- “Packages”: unethical bec if its not part of the package then you might not be able to give it
Legal age
Solis :
Family code of 1988:
- 16M 14F
2. 18
Criminal liability (revised penal code; article 365)
A crime is commited when?
- Deliberate harm
- Negligence
- Imprudence
- Lack of foresight
- Lack of skill
Burden of proof
- Criminal
- Civil
- Administrative
- Guilt beyond reasonable doubt
- Preponderance of evidence
- Substantial evidence / preponderance
Doctrine of vicarious liability
Employer-employee relationship: employer is liable also
Doctrine of ostensible agent
- Pathologist, radiologist and anes were chosen by the hospital; hospital still liable
- Doctor and hospital is liable
Borrowed servant doctrine
- MDs “borrow” the employees of the hospital;
- Resident does bubu; resident loses license; AP still pays.
- Happens
Captain of the ship doctrine
- Head surgeon is always liable: pay
1. Surgeon Chose his team.
Doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitur
“Common knowledge”
Ex. Foreing bodies left inside after OR, cut off wrong leg
- Negligence occured
- Third party could not have caused the injury
- Duty to patient.
Doctrine of contributory negligence (doctrine of common fault)
- On the side of the patient; its his fault
2. Patient fails to fulfill his duties as a patient
Doctrine of continuing negligence
- Failes to do anything after even after seeing clear evidence something has to be done
- Ex.
Doctrine of last clear chance
Is criminally punishable
You fail to prevent the harm,
Doctrine of foreseeability
If patient is a known case of ______, doctor is held liable for not being able to safeguard him/her regarding the possible risks of that condition
Fellow servant doctrine
Hospital is not liable for damages towards an employee by another employee
Rescue doctrine
If a doctor is injured in helping a patient in an accident and is hit by another car; the doer of the initial accident is held liable.
Independent contract theory
If resident kills a patient: he loses license, gets jailed
AP still pays
Trust fund doctrine
All donations are earmarked for that certain charity ONLY
Implied waiver theory
Charity vs private cases are treated differently
Moral damages: are physical/psychological etc injuries caused by an ACT.
Award of damages are based on article _____ of the civil code
Article 2219 of the civil code
- Perdiem method: estimate the value
- Golden rule method: judge determines
Exemplary / corrective damages
Monetary compensation to add insult to the guilty so that others will not follow suit.
Patient rights
- Consent to treatment
- Right to religious beliefs
- Right of privacy
- Right to disclosure of information
- Confidential information
- Choose MD
- Right to treatment
- Refuse necessary treatment
Consent may not be necessary when it is implied / compulsory
(X2 examples)
- Emergency cases
2. Mandated by law