Masks in the Medical Practice: Can Patients Refuse?
Public health officials and regulatory bodies have been clear that those working, visiting or being treated in a healthcare setting should wear face masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19. While face masks and their overall effectiveness have been questioned by some, wearing a cloth face covering has been shown to reduce the rates of COVID transmission in the population and may even reduce the severity of illness for those who are infected. For this reason, it is recommended that all healthcare providers require patients to wear face masks when they are receiving medical care. Unfortunately, some patients are unable...
Q: Can I be sued if a patient contracts COVID-19 after coming in for an office visit? A: Yes, although plaintiffs may have a difficult time substantiating the origin of the infection given that the typical patient will have multiple opportunities for potential exposures. Medical practices should implement reasonable protocols to mitigate risk of infection to both patients and employees, such as those required by state and local public health officials and infection control guidelines put forth by the CDC and OSHA. Q.) Should I require my patients to sign a waiver absolving me of liability related to COVID-19? A.)...
Practicing during a pandemic – Coronavirus/COVID-19
Since first emerging as a novel virus in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus outbreak has quickly enveloped the world and, as of March 11, 2020, it was declared by the World Health Organization to be a true pandemic. Currently, there are over 118,000 cases in 114 countries, with 4,291 fatalities. In the U.S., there are 1,215 cases in 43 states, with 36 associated fatalities- and those numbers are growing rapidly. A few of the issues that challenge the response to the coronavirus outbreak are the variability of symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 in individuals, a shortage of viral test...