Mutton Fish Point Productions

98 pages; 2003; ISBN 1-4120-0033-5

Legal Issues in Alternative Medicine by Michael H. Cohen is a book that empowers decisions concerning the services health care professionals or care institutions either recommend or provide to patients, or patients choose for themselves. CAM therapies are increasingly offered in conventional medical settings or clinics. This book guides those seeking to understand the legal context in which they offer or refer for health care services involving CAM, or use such therapies.

Reviews

“Cohen makes complex legal issues involving complementary therapies easy to read and absorb.” — Alan Dumoff, JD

Table of Contents

Introduction

PART ONE: CLINICIANS

1. Physicians and Allied Health Providers
· Liability and Disciplinary Issues
· Providing Patients CAM Therapies
· Referring Patients to CAM Providers
· Managing Potential Liability Exposure
· Managing Risk of Professional Discipline
· Ethical Issues
· Informed Consent
· Ethical Concerns Generally

2. Non-physician CAM Providers
· Malpractice Liability Issues
· Disciplinary Issues; Unlicensed Medical Practice
· Informed Consent Obligation
· Potential Liability in Integrative Health Care

PART TWO: HOSPITALS

3. Institutional Malpractice Liability
· Sources of Potential Liability
· Managing Potential Liability

4. Credentialing
· Physicians & Allied Health Providers
· CAM Providers

5. Dietary Supplement Policies
· Regulation of Dietary Supplements
· Responding to Patient Use

PART THREE: PATIENTS

6. Access to Treatments
· Consumer Rights
· Non-FDA Approved Drugs
· Access in Hospital Settings
· Shared Decision-Making
· Treatment of Children

7. Insurance Reimbursement
· Status of Reimbursement for CAM
· Seeking Reimbursement
· Conclusion

Appendices
· A. Sample Documentation: Informed Consent
· B. Sample Documentation: Medical Record
· C. State Licensure of Alternative Providers
· D. Sample Syllabus for Continuing Education Talk
· E. Additional Resources

Acknowledgements

Index

About the Author