Health Law

There is an emerging pattern of judicial and legislative control and influence over medical practice and medical matters.

Medical Law and Health Law for practical purposes are used interchangeably.

Medical Law, leads from medical ethics, is the mechanism for doing the right thing.

Medical and Health Law in its broadest definition is defined as the law relating to healthcare and health of human beings.

Medical Law in its narrow definition is law relating to the doctor patient relationship.

Medical Law is concerned with the legal responsibility of members of the medical profession for the actions.

In practical terms, Health law is the area of medicine concerned with the laws governing interactions between doctors and patients and the organisation of health care.

Topics to be covered under Health Law includes :

  1. Basic concept of the Law, the courts and the Legal System
  2. Government Regulations and Health Policy
  3. Legal responsibility of medical practitioners,
    - as doctors
    - as clinic managers
  4. Issues of Confidentiality
  5. Issues of informed consent
  6. Access to medical information
  7. Medical negligence
  8. End of life issues. Death certification.
  9. Dealing with complaints
  10. Inquest, Coroner Court, Expert witness
  11. Medical Insurance and Indemnity

The aim of CME in Health Law is to keep the patients healthy and the doctors and medicine out of the law courts.


10 June 2000 - HLA2