Foreword It has become essential for physicians and other health professionals to have at least a basic knowledge of the legal elements involved in providing health care services. This applies to employees of the Federal Government as well as to persons in private practice. The need for this type of knowledge is continually increasing as medical services become more complex and care for the individual patient more frequently involves several physicians, nurses, and technicians. Recognizing the general concern in the health professions for answers to the growing number of medico-legal problems, the Public Health Service published "Legal Aspects of PHS Medical Care” (PHSP No. 1468) outlining the fundamental legal principles involved in Government medical care. In order to teach health workers these principles in the quickest and most effective manner, it was decided to put the basic legal guidelines in a programmed instruction format. The author of the manual, Mr. Eli P. Bernzweig, and the staff of the Office of Program Planning and Evaluation of the Bureau of Health Services, have directed the development of this programmed instruction course to assure its accuracy and conformity to the manual material. Health care workers, and those in allied fields, should find the format interesting as well as instructive, and it is hoped that the knowledge imparted therein will be reflected in higher quality health care in all PHS facilities. CARRUTH J. WAGNER, M.D. Assistant Surgeon General Introduction This is a programmed instruction course based on the material contained in the PHS publication "Legal Aspects of PHS Medical Care" (PHSP No. 1468) written by Eli P. Bernzweig, LL.B., of the Bureau of Health Services. The teaching frames were prepared in programmed form under the general direction of Dr. Carlton B. Downing, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. This course is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the subject of medical malpractice, but merely an introduction to the fundamental principles involved. To gain the maximum benefit of the course, the reader should have available a copy of the manual "Legal Aspects of PHS Medical Care” as a companion reference source, since the programmed frames are keyed to the manual throughout. While the primary intent of the course is to instruct PHS medical and paramedical personnel in their legal obligations and liabilities when treating patients in PHS facilities, it should prove equally helpful to non-Government medical personnel, hospital administrators, and others who are concerned with the medico-legal aspects of patient care. It must be emphasized that none of the information contained in this publi cation is intended as definitive legal advice in the solving of specific legal problems. The intent is merely to instruct the reader in the broad legal considerations involved in the provision of medical care, and thereby enable him to avoid some of the more common legal pitfalls. |