Law Commons^™

Hipaa's Privacy Rule And State Privacy Laws: Roadblocks To Medical Organizations' Self-Policing Expert Medical Testimony, Miles J. Zaremski, Douglas M. Belofsky

Alumni Publications

As part of the wave of medical malpractice reforms over the last several decades, efforts were initiated to ensure the reliability and credibility of expert witness opinion and testimony, which is the sine qua non of necessary proof for any such claim or lawsuit. Governing bodies of professional medical organizations and societies have crafted rules and regulations for their members that wish to provide expert medical witness testimony. Where such testimony does not conform to these organizations’ standards, sanctions can be levied, including membership expulsion. Such self-policing has found favor with courts.

Before sanctions are imposed, however, necessary administrative investigations …

Healing The Healers: Legal Remedies For Physician Burnout, Sharona Hoffman

Faculty Publications

A career as a doctor was long considered to be among the best professional paths that one could pursue. But medicine may no longer be the sought-after career that it once was. All too often, doctors, struggling with the demands of electronic health record systems and a myriad of administrative and regulatory responsibilities, find that they fail to derive much joy from their work and become victims of burnout. Physician burnout is an acute concern in the medical community, with over half of doctors reporting that they suffer from it. Physician burnout is a public health threat. Doctors who are …

What Genetic Testing Teaches About Long-Term Predictive Health Analytics Regulation, Sharona Hoffman

Faculty Publications

The ever-growing phenomenon of predictive health analytics is generating significant excitement, hope for improved health outcomes, and potential for new revenues. Researchers are developing algorithms to predict suicide, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cognitive decline, future opioid abuse, and other ailments. The researchers include not only medical experts, but also commercial enterprises such as Facebook and LexisNexis, who may profit from the work considerably. This Article focuses on long-term disease predictions (predictions regarding future illnesses), which have received surprisingly little attention in the legal and ethical literature. It compares the robust academic and policy debates and legal interventions that followed the …

Portable Medical Order Sets (Polst®): Ethical And Legal Landscape, Sharona Hoffman

Faculty Publications

Anyone who has observed the dying of a loved one or who has thought about medical care in the final months of life may be concerned about end-of-life care. How can individuals ensure that their care fits their needs and preferences if they cannot express these because of dementia, confusion, or other frailties? Some worry that they will receive care that is painful and aggressive in the last stages of disease even though they would prefer comfort care only. By contrast, others worry that physicians will withhold therapeutic care because they assume that such care is unwanted by patients who …