Professional Regulations and Criminal Lability

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability * Health care is a vast ever-changing demand in the United States. Because of that high demand, quality has been a concern for many patients. Each day patients put their health and trust in the hands of health care providers. Unfortunately, there have been times when the treatment provided, whether accidental or intentional, has caused harm to the patient. Patients who have experienced injury have the right to file a civil complaint against that provider that caused the injury. Some possible reasons for civil complaints are that personal information for a patient was shared without proper consent, negligence, or assault. These injuries are covered under Tort Law. This essay will identify a civil complaint process that patients may follow in the event of misconduct or incompetence by a provider. The role of the regulatory agencies to investigate the allegations of the misconduct will be discussed along with how they apply disciplinary actions if warranted. Potential criminal liabilities, risk management strategies, quality assurance programs to reduce the risk of liability and the process to follow in the event that charges are filed against a provider will all be identified.

In recent years, with the advances in technology and the major advancements in medicine has made a physician’s job to be perfect more complicated. The expectation to be spot on is more prominent today. Physicians are held to a higher standard now than ever before. However, physicians are still human and make mistakes. Medicine is a regulated because of the huge potential to cause harm to the public if an incompetent physician is licensed to practice. To get a license to practice medicine in the United States, physicians must met specific predetermined qualifications. These qualifications include graduation for a medical school, post graduate training, passing the national medical licensing exam, provide a detailed work history, and