Sometimes a danger warning can, quite literally, get in the way of patient safety.

EHR Mistakes | The Perils of ‘Cut-and-Paste’? A wrong-sided surgery case shows how using text created by a referring physician added yet another dimension to an unfortunate string of EHR mistakes.

When Ruling Out Disease, Chart Your Findings Carefully? A medical case shows why when ruling out disease, chart your findings carefully.

Whether it is reasonable for a specialist to rely on the primary care physician for certain aspects of a patient’s condition most likely varies with the circumstances. But making that understanding clear, and documenting it, is the best way to avoid any unmet expectations.

Though claims for “negligent infliction of emotional distress” brought by a patient’s family are difficult to prove, a court recently supported a jury’s award to the relatives of a patient who experienced distress after surgery.