What Goes Around Comes Around

Neil Baum, MD

Neil Baum, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor of Urology, Tulane Medical School, New Orleans, LA, and author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice: Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, Jones Bartlett Publishers. He is also author of Social Media For The Healthcare Profession, Greenbranch Publishing, 2011. He blogs at http://neilbaum.wordpress.com/

I was asked to participate in a legal panel against one of the local physicians in my community. The panel determined that the physician did not deviate from the local standard of care and the panel unanimously concluded that he met the community standard of care and was not negligent.

After the panel met late in the afternoon, I put in a call the same evening for the physician and reported to him the results of the panel. The doctor said that this was the first time a colleague ever called to notify him that he was exonerated and that even his defense attorney who attended the panel meeting did not give him a call. He said the call was most appreciated and he was so relieved to hear the favorable outcome.

Bottom Line: Many of us are going to be asked to weigh in on the clinical actions of our colleagues. For the most, part our colleagues will be vindicated. However, our colleagues will be anxious and concerned about learning the outcome of the panel. It is such a nice gesture to give them a call and inform them as soon as possible of the results. Perhaps when the situation is reversed, they will do the same for us.