ISSUES IN PRACTICE - Medical-Legal Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is the professional standard for
psychiatrists who want to use text with
their patients? (2x)
Document and store all texts as part of
patient’s medical record
Child psychiatrist is unprofessional
online. Most severe disciplinary action
by Federation of State Medical Boards?
(2x)
Revoke medical license
Major barrier to establishing patient
portal access for adolescent med clinics?
(2x)
Establishing/Maintaining patient
confidentiality
Next step when psychiatrist at a hospital
gets a subpoena for current patient whose
parents are divorcing and CPS is involved?
Call Risk management
Psychiatrists response to parent’s request
to set up a new electronic patient portal for
their child (that best reflects AACAP’s
policy on confidentiality)?
“I will first need to talk to your child about
the information that it will contain”
MD wants to educate patients about his
specialty field on social media. Appropriate
way to do this?
Create separate public social media page or
account to share this information
How should a physician working in a small
town approach possibly running into
patients and their families outside of the
clinic?
Inform patients and their parents that there
may be potential meetings outside of clinic
and follow their suggestions
In event that EMR is breached, per Health
Information Technology for Economic and
Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, next step is?
First notify affected patients
Physician forgot to put concerning CT info
elicited during a session several days ago in
his progress note, what should he do?
Immediately document the concerning info
During a job interview, interviewer asked
applicant for patient care
recommendations. Applicant Psychiatrist
found liable regarding treatment of patient
if?
Psychiatrist interviewed the patient
Parent requests child’s treating psychiatrist
to write a letter to court supporting their
fitness as a parent in an ugly divorce. Next
step?
Recommend having them request this of a
non-treating psychiatrist
What safety precaution should a consulting
psychiatrist take for a 15 yo who presents
to the ED after being referred by school
counselor due to self-harm, denies SI, not
currently on antidepressant? Parents refuse
psych hospitalization and want to follow up
with PCP.
Confirm a next-day appointment with the
outpatient provider.
Psychiatrist wants to start 12 yo child of
divorced parents with shared custody on
SSRI. Mother is present at evaluation and
consents, but reports that father “hates
medications.” What’s your plan?
Attempt to reach out to father and obtain
consent before starting medication
Likely reason psychiatrist would get a
subpoena related to current therapy patient
whose divorcing parents are fighting for
custody?
Psychiatrist has potential information
relevant to case
Parents want psychiatrist to treat their
child with complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM). What’s the legal issue?
Recommending CAM and getting informed
consent makes provider responsible for
treatment
Physicians can be found guilty of
malpractice if
Harm or damage was sustained by the
patient
Child’s psychiatrist subpoenaed in custody
case. Parents refuse consent to disclose
information. Next step?
Psychiatrist should go to court hearing and
notify that there is no consent
Parent reports during initial evaluation that
patient may have been sexually abused by
another child. What is the obligation of the
psychiatrist?
Report to CPS
The testimony of a psychiatrist who treated
a child of a divorcing couple should
include?
Why the child was treated
One of your adolescent therapy patients is
charged with felony assault. Parents want
you to testify as an expert witness in the
case since you are an expert on provoked
violence by bullying. Next step?
Decline, this would be double agentry
Child's treating psychiatrist gets a subpoena from one of the parent's attorneys to appear in court with child's medical record during a custody battle. Next step?
Seek informed consent from both parents
to share information with court
Psychiatrist seeing adolescent patient for
two years gets a subpoena testify in custody
case when parents divorce. Next step?
Make sure parents were notified and
provide consent for testimony
Adolescent female with insulin-dependent
diabetes is pregnant, has poor prenatal
care, and wants to keep it a secret from
parents. What would justify telling parents?
Imminent danger to patient
Staff posts picture with patient on social
media after attending their theatre
performance. Next step for psychiatrist?
Ask staff to remove post
