Skip to main content
AAEM25 Main banner
Back
Evaluation

Scientific Assembly

Track Session

Session: Session 104

Mini Law School for Physicians

Monday, April 7, 2025
5:00pm – 5:50pm ET
Location: Versailles - 2nd Level
CE: 0.75 CME Credit
Advocacy / Medicolegal Recorded Session
Disclosure(s):
Malia J. Moore, MD, FAAEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Melanie Heniff, MD, JD, MHA, FAAEM, FAAP: No financial relationships to disclose
Joseph P. Wood, MD JD MAAEM FAAEM: No financial relationships to disclose
In this session, members of the AAEM Legal Committee will present a series of case-based scenarios on legal dilemmas faced by emergency physicians in daily clinical work and provide practical and medicolegally sound approaches to the cases. The cases and topics come from member concerns brought to the Legal Committee over the past 1-2 years. Multiple cases will be presented and discussed by committee members with opportunity for questions from the audience. The number of cases/topics covered will be determined by the amount of time allowed, but the topics in order of priority include:
1. Employment law issues commonly faced by emergency physicians who are terminated or forced to resign including wrongful termination, lack of due process, defamation, non-compete clause enforcement and loss of malpractice coverage.
2. Rights of psychiatric patients to refuse care; right to restrain patients
2. EMTALA cases, in particular prolonged patient boarding scenarios, psychiatric patients
3. Physician liability for NP and PA care; how can physicians protect themselves?

Learning Objectives:

  • Summarize current legal options and enforceability standards when facing termination
  • Evaluate EMTALA concerns and obligations associated with prolonged boarding of patients, difficult transfers, and reporting violations.. Analyze rights of psychiatric patients and entitlement to refuse care
  • Describe models of advance practice provider supervision and summarize steps physicians may take to protect themselves medicolegally