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Legal Medicine

Health Care Law and Medical Ethics

  • 8th Edition - May 29, 2024
  • Latest edition
  • Authors: American College of Legal Medicine, American Board of Legal Medicine
  • Language: English

**Selected for 2026 Doody's Core Titles as an Essential Purchase in Medicolegal Issues**Authored by the two primary organizations in the field, Legal Medicine: Health Care Law a… Read more

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Description

**Selected for 2026 Doody's Core Titles as an Essential Purchase in Medicolegal Issues**

Authored by the two primary organizations in the field, Legal Medicine: Health Care Law and Medical Ethics, 8th Edition, remains the premier treatise in this increasingly important area of medical practice. In the midst of a progressively litigious culture, this essential reference provides up-to-date information on topics surrounding professional medical liability, the business aspects of medical practice, and medicolegal and ethical issues, offering comprehensive discussions on a myriad of topics that health care professionals face every day.

Key features

  • Addresses the legal aspects of almost every medical topic that impacts health care professionals, using actual case studies to illustrate nuances in the law
  • Offers the expert guidance of top professionals across medical and legal fields in an easy-to-read format
  • Includes new chapters on Legal Medicine History; Healthcare Technology; Patients with Infectious Diseases (HIV Infection and COVID-19); General Pain Management; Opioids and Illicit Drugs: Misuse, Abuse and Addiction; Cannabis (Marijuana); Drug (Treatment) Courts; and Public Health Law and Policy
  • Provides authoritative information on current issues such as the high costs of medical liability insurance for practitioners and organizations; changes in health care and the law, including HIPAA and patient privacy; the overturning of Roe v. Wade; the opioid epidemic, and more
  • Features Key Points boxes to open every chapter, Pearls boxes to call out important details, additional diagrams and tables throughout, a glossary of medical terms, and updated references and suggested readings
  • Serves as the syllabus for the Board Review Course of the American Board of Legal Medicine (ABLM)
  • Enhanced eBook includes complimentary access to the 3rd edition of the ABLM Board Review Exam & Study Guide, containing 2000 review questions and answers
  • An eBook version is included with purchase. The eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references, with the ability to search, customize your content, make notes and highlights, and have content read aloud. Additional digital ancillary content may publish up to 6 weeks following the publication date

Readership

Physicians (Internal Medicine and across specialties), registered nurses, hospital administrators, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and health lawyers

Table of contents

Part One: Legal Medicine in the Digital Age

1. History of Legal Medicine

2. The American Legal System

3. Digital Healthcare

4. History of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning

5. Artificial Intelligence Liability Theories in Medicine

6. Artificial Intelligence in Genetics

7. Use of AI in Dentistry

8. Medical Records and Prescribing by Physicians

9. Spoliation: Altered Medical Records

10. The Confidentiality of Digital Medical Information

11. Telemedicine Liability

Part Two: Law of Medicine and Medical Practice

12. The Standard of Care and the Reasonable Doctor and Juror

13. Healthcare Provider Contracts

14. Physician as an Employer

15. The Law of Agency and Partnership

16. Medical Practice Organizations and Joint Ventures

17. Patents, Intellectual Property, and Licenses

18. The Law of Antitrust

19. Alternative Dispute Resolution Techniques

20. Professional Liability Insurance

Part Three: Medical Education and Practice

21. Medical Education and State Board Licensure

22. Medical Staff Peer Review in Credentialing and Privileging of Physicians

23. Physician Profile Databases

24. Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Part Four: Professional Medical Ethics

25. Physician–Patient Relationship

26. Competency and Capacity: A Primer

27. Informed Consent to Medical and Surgical Treatment

28. Mandatory Evaluation of Older Doctors for Physical and Cognitive Impairment

Part Five: Prescribing and Pain Management

29. Prescribing by Clinicians

30. Drug Courts

31. Cannabis (Marijuana): Metabolic and Medical Aspects

32. Cannabinoids: Legal Aspects

33. Liability for Physicians Who Certify Medical Cannabis Therapy

Part Six: Legal Aspects of Public Health

34. Occupational Health Law

35. Public Health Law

36. HIV/AIDS: Ethical and Legal Aspects

37. Responses to COVID-19: Ethical and Legal Issues

38. Legal and Policy Aspects of Bioterrorism

Part Seven: Forensic Science and Medicine

39. Forensic Use of Medical Information in Civil and Criminal Justice Systems

40. Forensic Pathology

41. Psychiatric Patients and Forensic Psychiatry

42. Forensic Criminalistics

Part Eight: Care of Special Patients

43. Child Abuse

44. Domestic Violence Patients

45. Geriatric Patients

46. Elder Law: Ethical and Legal Issues

47. Cancer Genetics: Discrimination and Counseling

48. The Process of Dying

49. Aid in Dying and Palliative Sedation in the United States

50. Preparticipation Athletic Screening, Supervision, and Disqualification of Student Athletes: Physician Apprehension of Legal Liability

Part Nine: Professional Medical Liability

51. Medical Malpractice Stress Syndrome

52. Etiology of Medical Malpractice: Causes of Action

53. Defenses to a Claim of Medical Malpractice

54. Medication Errors by Healthcare Providers

55. Medical Testimony and the Expert Witness

56. Physician Conduct at Deposition and at Trial

57. Pretrial, Trial, and Appeal Procedures

58. Legal Liability in Clinical Trials Research

59. Medical Product Liability

60. Countersuits by Healthcare Providers

61. Crimes by Healthcare Providers (Part 1)

62. Crimes by Healthcare Providers (Part 2)

63. Cerebral Palsy Litigation: A Continuing 21st Century Epidemic

Part Ten: Liability of Medical Specialists

64. Emergency Medicine

65. Family Practice and Internal Medicine Liability

66. Liability of Cardiologists

67. Liability of Surgeons

68. Legal Issues in Newborn Intensive Care

69. Pediatric Liability

70. Liability in Obstetrics and Gynecology

71. Liability of the Ophthalmologist

72. Otolaryngology Liability

73. Liability of Radiologists

74. Liability of Neurologists

75. Liability of Plastic Surgeons

76. Nursing Liability

77. Liability of Pharmacists

78. Liability of Psychiatrists

79. Liability of the Clinical Pathologist

80. Life Care Planning: Ethical and Legal Issues

81. Liability of Urologists

82. Liability and Risk Management in Anesthesiology

Glossary of AI Terms
Case Index
Subject Index
Appendix A General Medical-Legal terms

Review quotes

"This book serves well in its aims and appears best suited as a starting point of reference for pursuing deeper dives into the literature with the supplement of more detailed sources. It does well in achieving its goals in this regard, which are worthy objectives for study." ©Doody’s Review Service, 2025, Tim Freeman, MD, MA, FAAP (Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine), Doody’s Score: 97 - 5 Stars!

Product details

  • Edition: 8
  • Latest edition
  • Published: May 29, 2024
  • Language: English

About the authors

A

American College of Legal Medicine

ACLM is a national medical specialty society recognized by AMA, as shown in the list of member organizations of the AMA House of Delegates (https://www.ama-assn.org/house-delegates/hod-organization/member-organizations-ama-house-delegates).

A

American Board of Legal Medicine

ABLM is the accrediting body for the ACLM.

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