We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
This chapter is designed to assist doctors in conducting medico-legal examinations and preparing medico-legal reports, and to advise doctors about appearing in court as ordinary or as expert witnesses. Problems that may arise at medico-legal examinations are first identified and advice is provided about the content and scope of medico-legal reports. After briefly describing the adversarial system used in Australian courts, the chapter is then structured around the usual sequence by which a doctor becomes aware that he or she may be required in court. Lastly, the matter of jury duty for doctors is touched upon.
MEDICO-LEGAL REPORTS
Treating doctors' reports
For doctors who are primarily in clinical practice, the most common involvement with the legal system will come via a request for a medico-legal report about a current or past patient, most often in the context of an insurance or workers compensation claim. The request should be accompanied by an original signed authority from the patient to release the medical information and by a letter from the solicitor describing what is requested.
In preparing medico-legal reports in regard to the diagnosis, care and treatment of a patient, doctors should take care to answer the questions asked of them and should strive to make the report factual, objective, complete and to the point. Material in the patient's records that is irrelevant to the request should not be included in the report.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
