Physicians have a responsibility to assess elderly patients for conditions that could affect their ability to drive safely and to be familiar with state laws that govern physician duty to report impaired drivers.
Physicians have a professional obligation and, in many states, a legal duty to report drivers whose functional or cognitive impairments may pose a safety hazard.
Guidelines for proceeding with a plan of care when family members have conflicting opinions about the patient’s wishes and the patient does not speak the same language as her physicians.
Specialty training in preventive medicine best equips physicians to address the population health challenges that confront U.S. and global health care in the 21st century.
Physicians should recognize that patients’ beliefs may cause them to have non-medical explanations for their illnesses and that shared explanations should be negotiated if treatment plans are to be successful.
Cindy Tworek, PhD, MPH and Kimberly Horn, EdD, MSW
Ethical implications of the Medicaid plan in West Virginia that offers enhanced benefits packages to those who sign contracts to make healthy lifestyle choices.
State laws often require physicians to report suspected abuse and assault, creating a dilemma for physicians who must not only treat the injured patient but act as an informant to police.