Moore Gregory P
Emergency Medicine Residency, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington, USA.
J Emerg Med. 2011 Feb;40(2):225-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2009.08.047. Epub 2009 Nov 18.
Laboratory tests are frequently ordered in the Emergency Department (ED), with results returning at a later time. Emergency physicians (EPs) are frequently held liable when the test results are not followed-up.
Recent legal malpractice cases are presented to provide examples of the medical-legal risks encountered when poor patient outcomes occur because the results of laboratory tests and other studies done in the ED are not followed-up and communicated to the patient.
Emergency physicians are obligated to follow-up with patients when the results of laboratory and radiographic studies ordered in the ED are returned at a later time, and EPs are liable for any poor outcome if there is no follow-up. Appropriate follow-up mechanisms must be in place to improve patient outcomes and reduce the risk for the physician. Knowledge of the legal concepts of contributory negligence and comparative fault allows EPs to place themselves in an optimal position for a legal defense if a challenge is raised.
It is imperative that abnormal results of tests done for ED evaluation and orders must be properly noted and followed-up. Optimal communication and relay of information to both the patient and the primary physician will reduce physician liability and enhance patient outcomes.
在急诊科（ED），实验室检查经常被开具，结果会在之后返回。当检查结果未得到跟进时，急诊医生（EPs）常常会承担责任。
呈现近期的医疗事故案例，以举例说明因急诊科所做的实验室检查及其他研究结果未得到跟进并告知患者而导致患者预后不良时所面临的医疗法律风险。
当急诊科开具的实验室和影像学检查结果在之后返回时，急诊医生有义务对患者进行跟进，若未进行跟进，急诊医生需对任何不良后果负责。必须建立适当的跟进机制以改善患者预后并降低医生的风险。了解共同过失和比较过错的法律概念，能使急诊医生在面临质疑时处于最佳的法律辩护地位。
对于为急诊科评估所做检查的异常结果及医嘱，必须妥善记录并跟进。与患者和初级医生进行最佳的信息沟通与传递，将减少医生的责任并改善患者预后。
