Medico-legal
Improving quality, safety and professionalism in practice. Everything you need to help you with clinical and legal challenges.
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02 April 2025
Iron staining: understanding the risks and prioritising patient safety
Iron staining (also known as ‘iron tattoos’) is a recognised and potentially permanent complication of iron infusion treatment.
24 March 2025
Doctors’ duty of care does not extend to an ‘exercise in futility’
When patients decline medically-recommended management, the duty of doctors extends beyond recommending the treatment and advising the risks of not proceeding. It is important to discuss all reasonably available treatments, explain clearly why they are needed and provide appropriate referrals. However, the duty does not extend to an exercise in futility when patients persistently refuse treatment despite receiving information and recommendations.
23 March 2025
Medical records: part two - managing medical records – post measuring outcome activity
This is a Measuring Outcomes activity (MO) to be completed after course # 1163711 Medical records part 2. This module aims to explore medical records management issues.
23 March 2025
Medical records: part two - managing medical records
Welcome to the Avant online course Medical records: part two – managing medical records. Doctors have various legal and professional obligations when managing medical records.
23 March 2025
Medical records: part one - documentation
Medical records are a key foundation for communication, and they provide important evidence of the care you have given for a colleague, to Medicare, during a complaint process, or in a court of law. The legal and professional requirements are outlined in this course.
23 March 2025
Reducing diagnostic error
Diagnostic errors often result from a combination of cognitive and system factors, but addressing even one can help prevent harm.
03 March 2025
Unauthorised access to 35 patients’ records sees trainee doctor suspended
A trainee doctor was suspended after admitting to unauthorised and unjustified access to 35 patients’ medical records on 97 occasions and disclosing information from those records. The doctor was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. While accepting that mental illness played a role, the tribunal concluded the conduct was professional misconduct.
03 March 2025
Optometrist’s failure to arrange secure storage and transfer of records amounts to professional misconduct
An optometrist’s failure to store and enable access to patient records after their business closed reflected a total disregard for their professional obligation to ensure continuity of care, according to the tribunal. They had denied responsibility and demonstrated a complete lack of insight into the seriousness or implications of their conduct. Their conduct constituted professional misconduct and led to cancellation of their registration.