The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.
Experts estimate that as many as 98,000 people die in any given year from medical errors that occur in hospitals. That's more than die from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDSâ€"three causes that receive far more public attention. Indeed, more people die annually from medication errors than from workplace injuries. Add the financial cost to the human tragedy, and medical error easily rises to the top ranks of urgent, widespread public problems. To Err Is Human breaks the silence that has surrounded medical errors and their consequenceâ€"but not by pointing fingers at caring health care professionals who make honest mistakes. After all, to err is human. Instead, this book sets forth a national agendaâ€"with state and local implicationsâ€"for reducing medical errors and improving patient safety through the design of a safer health system. This volume reveals the often startling statistics of medical error and the disparity between the incidence of error and public perception of it, given many patients' expectations that the medical profession always performs perfectly. A careful examination is made of how the surrounding forces of legislation, regulation, and market activity influence the quality of care provided by health care organizations and then looks at their handling of medical mistakes. Using a detailed case study, the book reviews the current understanding of why these mistakes happen. A key theme is that legitimate liability concerns discourage reporting of errorsâ€"which begs the question, "How can we learn from our mistakes?" Balancing regulatory versus market-based initiatives and public versus private efforts, the Institute of Medicine presents wide-ranging recommendations for improving patient safety, in the areas of leadership, improved data collection and analysis, and development of effective systems at the level of direct patient care. To Err Is Human asserts that the problem is not bad people in health careâ€"it is that good people are working in bad systems that need to be made safer. Comprehensive and straightforward, this book offers a clear prescription for raising the level of patient safety in American health care. It also explains how patients themselves can influence the quality of care that they receive once they check into the hospital. This book will be vitally important to federal, state, and local health policy makers and regulators, health professional licensing officials, hospital administrators, medical educators and students, health caregivers, health journalists, patient advocatesâ€"as well as patients themselves. First in a series of publications from the Quality of Health Care in America, a project initiated by the Institute of Medicine
CURRENT PRACTICE in Forensic Medicine Presents a unique overview and critical commentary on the latest developments in forensic medical practice worldwide The field of forensic medicine continues to evolve worldwide. In recent years, the amount of research has increased and new areas of forensic specialization have developed. Forensic practitioners need to keep pace with a range of international advances from innovative technologies to new or revised laws and regulations to emerging issues of controversy. Current Practice in Forensic Medicine, Volume 3 provides an in-depth examination of key areas of the field. This timely and comprehensive resource addresses consent for forensic procedures, imaging for soft tissue injuries, working with victims of torture, non-accidental injury in the elderly, medical and toxicological aspects of chemical warfare, non-fatal strangulation, abusive head trauma in young children, and more. Each chapter contains a general overview of the area under discussion, references to published literature, and detailed discussion of significant changes and key points. Offers new insights into false allegations of sexual assault, coercive control and the homicide timeline in partner abuse cases, and the needs of elderly persons in detention Provides non-country specific information to guide international forensic medicine practitioners and healthcare professionals Contains detailed yet concise chapters written by authors with particular expertise in the subject covered Addresses the clinical and pathological aspects of forensic medicine and relevant areas in toxicology, forensic psychiatry and psychology, and forensic biology Covers riot control weapons, chemical warfare, non-fatal strangulation, DNA in crime detection, and many other essential topics Includes up-to-date information on the new Medical Examiner system in England and Wales Supported by the most recent evidence-based research, Current Practice in Forensic Medicine, Volume 3 is a must-have for all those involved in various aspects of forensic medicine including doctors, dentists, forensic scientists, lawyers, law enforcement professionals, and forensic practitioners.