Personal Injury Law

WI court: Doctors must tell patients all options

By Hurley, McKenna & Mertz

As a medical malpractice lawyer, I am pleased with the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision. The standard of care should require a physician to disclose all the treatment and diagnostic options, especially before sending a patient home from the emergency room. Consider the following news story:

Todd Richmond reports about the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimous decision that requires doctors to tell patients about all treatment and diagnosic options for their aliments (Chicago Tribune, 7/24). This ruling reaffirms previous lower court rulings that found ?state law mandates doctors inform patients about all viable treatments and diagnosis as well as their benefits and risks.?

The ruling stems from a medical malpractice case involving a man who was rushed to the emergency room with stroke-like symptoms and told to take aspirin, return home, and visit a neurologist a few days later. In the interim, his wife found him on the floor suffering from a full-blown stroke. When rushed to the hospital, it was determined that one of his arteries was almost completely clogged. At the time of his initial emergency room visit, he was not told about any further testing alternatives or treatment options. Several doctors testified that he should have been informed of diagnostic options at that time. The recent ruling will hopefully lead to more favorable health outcomes in similar situations.

Full post as published by Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog on July 30, 2009 (boomark / email).