Utilization Review: an injured worker will get another chance to argue that an alleged injury was induced by fault in a physician's utilization review.
The consent process is the non-delegable duty of the physician. Take these steps to eliminate the “You never told me...” or “If I had only known...” allegations often heard when there are less than optimal treatment outcomes.
The responsibility of a specialist to make a referral to another specialist — or instead rely on the primary care physician — will depend on a number of variables. But at the very least, the medical record on the issue should avoid ambiguity.
If tempted to pursue an alternate treatment plan based on a patient’s financial situation, a physician should assess whether such a consideration might be clouding his or her clinical medical judgment.