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Legal Concerns in Complicated Obstetrical Cases

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Book cover The Diagnosis and Management of the Acute Abdomen in Pregnancy

Abstract

Taking care of the obstetrical patient is literally caring for two patients: one being the gravida and the other, the fetus. Complexities in the modern practice of medicine make care of the gravid woman fraught with medical and legal “minefields” which are often vague or confusing to the provider. This chapter attempts, among other concerns, to clarify medico-legal issues involving negligence, informed consent, and government impositions on the practice of medicine. These issues are even more complex when electronic medical records and patients’ rights are part of the everyday reality of practice. For the provider, understanding these legal issues is as important as comprehending the vital scientific aspects of obstetrical care.

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Abbreviations

EHR:

Electronic Health Record

EMTALA:

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act

FCA:

False Claims Act

HIPAA:

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

OCR:

Office of Civil Rights

PSDA:

Patient Self-Determination Act

PVS:

Persistent Vegetative State

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Humanities & Social Sciences, Sirridge Office of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Marilyn M. Pesto JD, MSN, BSN

  2. Office of General Counsel, Litigation Counsel, TMC Professional and General Liability Trust, Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Janet I. Mittenfelner JD, MHSA

  3. University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Andrew Spaedy

Authors
  1. Marilyn M. Pesto JD, MSN, BSN
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  2. Janet I. Mittenfelner JD, MHSA
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  3. Andrew Spaedy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marilyn M. Pesto JD, MSN, BSN .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

    Peter Bogach Greenspan

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Pesto, M.M., Mittenfelner, J.I., Spaedy, A. (2018). Legal Concerns in Complicated Obstetrical Cases. In: Greenspan, P. (eds) The Diagnosis and Management of the Acute Abdomen in Pregnancy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62283-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62283-5_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62282-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62283-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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