Fall 2012
    Law No.: LAW7065
    Sched. No.: 112820570

Medical Malpractice and Health Care Quality
Section 1
X
Hafemeister, Thomas L.



Administrative Information:
During SIS enrollment, check on SIS for real-time enrollment numbers
Days, Times (Room):MW, 1410-1530 (WB119)
Credits:3Type:Lecture
Capacity:18 **This information is current as of 05/23/2013 06:18:36 AM**
Current Enrollment:16 **This information is current as of 05/23/2013 06:18:36 AM**

Course Description:

Notwithstanding that the Supreme Court decided the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 this summer, this country continues to be embroiled in an intense debate over health care reform. At the center of much of this debate is what steps can and should be taken to improve the quality of health care. For example, it has been estimated that one in seven Medicare beneficiaries experience an adverse event while hospitalized (which projects to 134,000 of these patients experiencing at least one adverse event in a hospital in a given month), with 44% of these events considered preventable and resulting in costs of $4.4 billion per year. Relatedly, controversy continues to swirl around whether causes of action for medical malpractice should be available to patients harmed by medical error. Medical malpractice litigation is alternatively characterized as the bane of conscientious and highly competent health care providers or as an invaluable means to enhance the quality of health care and to compensate patients who have received inadequate care. This course will examine health care quality in the United States through the lens of medical malpractice liability. Topics to be addressed include medical error, the liability of health care providers, the physician-patient relationship (including informed consent), the liability of hospitals and similar organizations, EMTALA, managed care liability and ERISA, and health care related tort reform. During the final month of the semester, various guest speakers from a range of backgrounds (including both attorneys and physicians) will join the class to share their perspectives and expertise.

COURSE REQUIREMENT: Examination (a paper may be substituted with the permission of the instructor). NOTE: Students seeking to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement must submit a completed Writing Requirement Intent Form to the Student Records Office no later than October 3, 2012.