Doctors & Criminal Charges
-- NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports on reaction within the medical profession to Dr. Shug's trial. The California Medical Association is filing a `friend of the court' brief, in support of Dr. Shug. It argues that a doctor who intends no harm and is trying to help a patient should not be subject to criminal charges. A consumer group in Washington, Public Citizens' Health Research Group, disagrees. It argues that minor reprimands are not enough to prevent life-threatening mistakes of the kind which appear to have been made by Dr. Shug.
A new study says that the mortality risk for patients with certain acute heart conditions was not negatively impacted if they are admitted to the hospital when a cardiologist isn't there. Robert Siegel talks with Dr. Anupam Jena about the study.