Contemporary Issues in Healthcare Law and Ethics, Second Edition

SYNOPSIS

A textbook for students of law or healthcare administration. The second edition, revised from the 1999 Healthcare Law and Ethics: Issues for the Age of Managed Care, is updated to account for changes in the law, and reorganized slightly for clarity and facility. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

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Reviewer: Tali Giveon, MD (University Dermatology Center)Description: This is a thorough overview of current legal issues that apply to healthcare. In addition to providing an introduction to the legal system itself, it addresses a variety of patient care issues, ethical considerations, and regulatory concerns. This is a second edition, which includes more material on ethical issues, quality of care considerations, and the input of government regulation than the 1999 first edition.Purpose: According to the author, one main objective of this book is to serve as an update to the first edition. The author also states that organizational improvements aimed at making the book easier to use are among his goals. Of greater import, however, is his goal to provide healthcare providers and executives with the knowledge necessary to avoid legal pitfalls and liabilities. These are clearly worthy objectives, and make the book a useful acquisition. The book is well organized and easy to navigate, but I have not seen the original edition to make a comparison.Audience: The author's intended audience consists of healthcare executives and practitioners. No specific medical specialty is either emphasized or excluded. I believe the book would be equally beneficial to physicians or healthcare managers/executives wishing to expand their understanding of legal issues in this field. The author, as director of a department of health administration ethics and a former law practitioner in this field, is a credible authority.Features: The book opens with a detailed overview of the U.S. legal system with specific attention to its role in thehealthcare arena. It further details relevant issues in patient care, and discusses managed care and its associated legal and ethical concerns, and concludes with a discussion of the utilization of healthcare services. The attention to the legal system, which includes an introduction to legal research, is particularly well-done. Examples and case studies are copious, and help to further clarify the subject matter. The Tables of Cases, Statutes, and Regulations adjacent to the index provide a convenient starting point for researching specific issues or cases. A number of problems provide an opportunity for independent research or discussion. I found these to be interesting, but would have appreciated some guidance in answering them, such as specific statutes or other helpful hints.Assessment: This book is a useful resource for those in the medical field whose legal background is limited and who wish to inform themselves on relevant legal, ethical, and regulatory issues.

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