This Case of the Month highlights the unfortunate scenario when a patient with mental health issues fell through the cracks within the healthcare system.

This Case of the Month emphasizes the importance of documenting conversations with patients regarding informed refusal. Beware: A good physician-patient relationship may not always save the day when adult children get involved

Diagnostic delays can be costly and harmful to patients. Although delayed diagnosis can occur in any medical specialty, primary care is at a significant risk for delayed diagnosis because it is where many initial and ongoing patient-doctor encounters occur.¹ One example of delayed diagnosis in the primary care setting was seen in a recent Pennsylvania case. 

When it comes to timing of important events in a patient’s care, making the effort to note when those events occurred is well worth the minimal investment in time required.

A previously published “Case of the Month” featured a case involving Mr. Crane, a profoundly deaf individual who communicates using American Sign Language (ASL) and who filed a lawsuit against a hospital for failure to provide a sign language interpreter to effectively communicate during an involuntary commitment evaluation.