What can be done to maintain quality care for patients and reduce medical-legal risks for physicians when patients do not heed medical advice.
An overview of ways in which physicians can use patient decision aids (PDAs) to encourage shared decision-making.
The likelihood of patients making a complaint is reduced when they perceive genuine care and concern, compassion, honesty, and acknowledgment of their values and preferences.
Focusing on the follow-up phase of clinical testing for office-based family physicians, this article presents actionable advice based on a review of CMPA legal and College cases.
End-of-life treatment decisions can be difficult for both physicians and patients, but many issues can be avoided by following the key concepts outlined.
Physicians working in walk-in clinics face unique challenges and medical-legal risks related to team communication, management of test results, and review of delegated work.
An overview of issues physicians need to consider when conducting treatment or non-treatment capacity assessments.
Physicians should participate in quality assurance activities such as debriefs and should reduce their medical-legal risks by ensuring the debriefs are properly structured.
Text messaging offers the potential for improved communication among physicians and healthcare teams, and using it appropriately can mitigate some of the inherent risks of this channel.
If physicians have reason to believe a child is in need of protection, they are responsible for informing the appropriate authority in a timely manner. Planning what to say to the family is important.
Physicians can successfully manage online ratings using a reasonable and measured approach.
Limiting patients to one issue per visit can lead to negative perceptions if not communicated with respect and diplomacy.
When physicians offer a clinical comment or opinion that will be relied on to care for a patient, they may owe that patient a duty of care—even if they have never met the patient in person.
Physicians should consider encouraging patients to engage in advance care planning and appointing a substitute decision-maker early, before the patient no longer has the capacity to consent to end-of-life care.
When a patient seeks a second opinion about a diagnosis or treatment plan, the other viewpoint will confirm, modify, or offer alternatives to the initial one, and ultimately the patient is free to decide.
Advice for physicians when a patient presents with an emotional support animal or requests a letter supporting their use of an emotional support animal.
A review of the concept of collateral patient information, and advice for physicians on what to do with this kind of information.
Suggested ways that physicians can reduce the risk of privacy breaches when using fax to communicate confidential patient information.
Physicians who treat or who are asked to treat transgender individuals should be aware of the ethical and legal considerations in these circumstances to avoid allegations of discrimination.
Guidance for physicians who can not reach a patient.
Key points for physicians to keep in mind if they are providing cosmetic medicine procedures.
Guidance for physicians about addressing the possibility of pregnancy when preparing patients for procedures that could be harmful.
A review of the physicians who treat patients with cognitive decline.
The increased availability of genetic testing raises a number of medico-legal questions that physicians should consider.
Accepting and refusing new patients is part of managing a primary care practice, and physicians should be aware of their College’s policies on this matter.
Considerations for ending the doctor-patient relationship.
Physicians should be aware of the pros and cons of social media and the risks of participating.
This article explores the role of physicians in promoting the exchange of information and active decision-making by patients. It also examines the relationship between decision-making and consent.
Protecting the privacy of patient information when using digital communication channels, including email, portals, and social media platforms.
Whether providing or referring patients to alternative treatments, physicians need to remain mindful of their professional obligations, potential medico-legal risks
A review of CMPA medico-legal cases showed opportunities for physicians to improve their communication and coordination of care for patients undergoing non-urgent in-hospital surgery.
An overview of communication strategies physicians can use to help resolve conflict with other physicians or other healthcare providers.
While fatigue can negatively affect the performance of individual physicians, systematic and standardized approaches to teamwork and communication may help mitigate patient safety risks.
Actions physicians can take to mitigate potential risks of using patient portals to communicate clinical information with patents.
Communication and conflict resolution skills may help physicians deal effectively and safely with challenging patient encounters.
Effective communication and awareness of legal requirements are key to obtaining consent for treatment of children.
Although communication is identified as an underlying issue in the significant 10-year rise in the number of members asking for CMPA help with College complaints, research suggests physicians can improve their interactions with better communication skills.
Physicians regularly encounter patients or family members who behave aggressively and make demands that may be unrealistic and potentially harmful. In their medical practice, physicians need strategies and tools to manage conflict and such challenging behaviours.
Physicians who are familiar with regulatory requirements governing organ and tissue donations can more effectively meet their obligations and mitigate the potential for complaints.
When patients make requests for specific care providers, treatments, or services, physicians should assess whether they can reasonably accommodate such requests.
Physicians working in walk-in clinics face unique challenges and medical-legal risks related to team communication, management of test results, and review of delegated work.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for general informational purposes and is not intended to provide specific professional medical or legal advice, nor to constitute a "standard of care" for Canadian healthcare professionals. Your use of CMPA learning resources is subject to the foregoing as well as CMPA's Terms of Use.
