Lessons Learned: Risk Management Issues in Genetic Counseling Book

1 Introduction.- 2 Sources of Liability.- 2.1 Forms of Legal Complaints.- 2.1.1 Tort Law.- 2.1.2 Fraud.- 2.1.3 Contract Law.- 2.2 Legal Initiatives.- 2.2.1 Federal Regulations.- 2.2.2 State Regulations.- 2.2.3 Criminal Complaints.- 2.2.4 Organizational Requirements.- 2.3 Private Practice.- 2.3.1 Partnerships.- 2.3.2 Billing.- 2.4 Industry/Technology.- 2.5 Reproductive Technology.- 2.6 Research.- 2.6.1 Human Subjects.- 2.6.2 Gene Transfer.- 2.6.3 Clinical Testing on Research Samples.- 2.6.4 Institutional Review Boards.- 2.6.5 Epidemiology.- 2.7 Trainees.- 3 Duty as an Element of a Lawsuit:.- 3.1 Duty Element.- 3.2 Establishing a Professional Relationship.- 3.2.1 Abandonment.- 3.3 Obligations and Duties.- 3.3.1 Standard of Care.- 3.3.2 Specialty Practitioners.- 3.3.3 Good Practice.- 3.3.4 Nongeneticists Providing Genetic Services.- 4 Duty as an Element of a Lawsuit: .- 4.1 Test for a Standard.- 4.2 Sources for Standards .- 4.2.1 Scope of Practice:.- 4.2.2 Code of Ethics.- 4.2.3 Professional Organizations.- 4.2.4 Professional Literature.- 4.2.5 Professional Guidelines.- 4.2.6 Credentials.- 4.2.7 Expert testimony.- 5 Duty as an Element of a Lawsuit:.- 5.1 Medical Records.- 5.1.1 Chart Contents.- 5.1.2 Ownership.- 5.1.3 Storage of Medical Records.- 5.1.4 Shadow Charts.- 5.2 Failure to FollowPolicies and Procedures.- 5.2.1 Informed Consent.- 5.2.2 Confidentiality.- 5.3 Improper Techniques.- 5.3.1 Nondirective.- 5.3.2 Nonjudgmental/Value Neutral.- 5.3.3 Transcultural Competency.- 5.3.4 Defenses for the Duty Element.- 6 Breach, Causation and Damages as Elements of a Lawsuit.- 6.1 Breach .- 6.1.1 Decision Makers.- 6.1.2 Defense to Breach Element.- 6.2 Causation.- 6.2.1 Remote Causation.- 6.2.2 Proximate Cause.- 6.2.3 Informed Consent Cases.- 6.2.4 Defense to the Causation Element.- 6.3 Damages.- 6.3.1 General Damages.- 6.3.2 Compensatory Damages.- 6.3.3 Noneconomic Damages.- 6.3.4 Punitive Damages.- 6.3.5 Assessing Damages.- 6.3.6 Defense to the Damage Element.- 7 Defenses to a Lawsuit.- 7.1 Helping Yourself .- 7.2 Affirmative Defenses to Malpractice Lawsuits.- 7.2.1 Statute of Limitations.- 7.2.2 Contributory Negligence.- 7.2.3 Comparative Negligence.- 7.2.4 Assumption of the Risks.- 7.2.5 Good Samaritan Statute.- 7.2.6 Indemnity or Release.- 7.3 Countersuits.- 7.3.1 Malicious Prosecution.- 7.3.2 Abuse of Process.- 7.3.3 Defamation.- 7.3.4 Negligence.- 7.3.5 Intentional Torts.- 8 Communication.- 8.1 Face-to-Face.- 8.2 Electronic Communication.- 8.2.1 Internet.- 8.3 Privacy.- 8.3.1 Transmission of Information.- 8.4 Managing Your Malpractice Exposure in Cyberspace.- 9 Conclusions: Lessons Learned .- 9.1 Defensive Practice.- 9.2 Advice from Experience.- Appendix.- A.1 Definition of Genetic Counseling.- A.1.1 1975.- A.1.2 2006.- A.2 Scope of Practice.- A.3 The Code of Ethics of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.- A.4 Suggested Readings.- Notes.- Index .-