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Article: Nurse says "come in for a mastectomy:" Dr. reassures patient otherwise.(Medical Law Case of the Month)(diagnostic errors)
- Article from:
- Medical Law's Regan Report
- Article date:
- July 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Medical Law Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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CASE ON POINT: MCFADDEN V. BATTIFORA, 2004 WL 103353--CA.
ISSUE: Should a nurse call a patient to announce that the patient has breast cancer and that she must "come in for a mastectomy?" That was what occurred in this extraordinary California case, in which a patient saw a physician regarding a lump in her breast. Subsequently, the patient received a call from the physician's nurse who told her "come in for a mastectomy." Shortly thereafter, the physician called the patient directly to assure her that this was not the case. He scheduled an appointment for the patient for the next day, at which time he told her that she did not have cancer. Approximately, two ...