McGraw-Hill Education (Asia)

With rapid advancement in medical science, technology, and skills comes a myriad of legal, ethical, and moral problems. Almost daily, items of ethical and medico-legal significance are appearing in the media. A basic understanding of the medico-legal and ethical issues in healthcare is essential for safe, responsible, and ethical practice in daily clinical work. This book looks at such issues, in those areas where law and medicine commonly meet. The doctor-lawyer team uses a novel question-and-answer format, witha special emphasis on problem-solving, to make learning about medico-legal and ethical principles effortless and educational. The practical and realistic case scenarios featured are commonly faced by cardiologists, internists and family physicians.

Endorsement

“This book takes various complex ethical and legal issues regarding modern medical situations, and condenses it into easy, understandable terms suitable for both laymen and professionals.”

— Rachel Ng Bao Ling, Bachelor of Laws (Hons), University of Manchester, United Kingdom



About the Authors

Catherine Tay is an associate professor lecturing law at the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore (NUS). She obtained her law degrees, Bachelor of Laws with Honours and Master of Laws, from Queen Mary College, University of London. Professor Tay is an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and a barrister-at-law (of Lincoln’s Inn, United Kingdom). She is the author of 31 Law books, including books on medical negligence and medico-legal and ethical issues, business law books, and legal and ethics articles in leading international academic peer-reviewed journals. Professor Tay also supervises year 4 medical students at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS, in their electives.

Leslie Tay is a cardiology registrar with National Heart Centre Singapore. He undertook his medical studies at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom and obtained the degrees of Bachelor of Science with Honours in Medical Science, and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Dr Tay is a member of the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom. He is passionate about research and is a co-investigator in numerous international clinical trials. He is a keen advocate of clinical practice improvement and is also actively involved in teaching.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

About the Authors

Some sample

Case Scenarios

Chapter 01: Driving When Medically Unfit – Should the Authorities Be Informed?

Chapter 02:  Fitness to Fly – What Are the Guidelines?

Chapter 03: Family Involvement in Informed Consent – Is it Appropriate?

Chapter 04: Discharge of Patient

Chapter 05: Informed Consent – Competent Adult?

Chapter 06: A & E Assessment of Chest Pain – Negligence

Chapter 07: Bed Shortage – A Physician’s Obligation

Chapter 08: A Non-compliant Patient?

Chapter 09: Unable to Afford Medical Treatment – Financial Issues

Chapter 10: Refusal to Leave Hospital after Being Fit for Discharge

Chapter 11: Do Not Resuscitate Orders

Chapter 12: A Family’s Request to Continue a Futile Resuscitation – What Should You Do?

Chapter 13: A Child’s “Right to Die” – Does This Right Exist?

Chapter 14: Tourist without Medical Insurance – Your Duty to Treat

Chapter 15: Withdrawal of Financial Support

Chapter 16: Obtaining Informed Consent in Clinical Trials

Chapter 17: Missed Diagnosis – Who Is liable?

Chapter 18: Informing a Patient about a Colleague’s Inappropriate Treatment

Chapter 19: Anticoagulation – Medical Negligence

Chapter 20: Failure to Screen Family Members

Appendices

Appendix 1: The Declaration of Geneva

Appendix 2: The Hippocratic Oath

Appendix 3: The Government Proceedings Act

Appendix 4: The Singapore Armed Forces Act

Appendix 5: The Misuse of Drugs Act

Appendix 6: The Infectious Diseases Act

Appendix 7: The Declaration of Helsinki

Appendix 8: The (US) Belmont Report 1979

Appendix 9: Notification of Infectious Diseases Form