Medical Malpractice Seminar: Data, Policy and Law Reform

SLN #: 28454
Course Prefix: LAW-791
Course Section: 030
Credit Hours: 2
Instructor(s): Saks
Course Books: View List of Books

Course Description:
The #3 cause of death in the United States – after heart disease and cancer – is preventable medical error. For each such death, several additional patients suffer severe injuries. We are 11 times more likely to die from a medical accident than from a car accident. The goal of this seminar is to explore, invent, and think hard about what the law could do to reduce those tragic numbers.

We will begin by reviewing the history, nature and extent of the problem of medical error and injury, the nature of traditional legal solutions (malpractice liability), law reforms enacted in the past several decades, and the effects of those reforms.

With that as background, we will then turn our attention to innovative ideas for solving the problem of iatrogenic injury. What could the law do to most effectively change the behavior of individuals and organizations in the healthcare industry in order to increase patient safety?

Each student will choose an innovative legal policy – possibly something that is currently being experimented with, or under discussion in the policy world, or in place in another country, or an idea of the student’s creation – research it thoroughly, critically evaluate it, and present your findings and conclusions orally to the class and in a written paper.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 2
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Graduation Writing Requirement: Yes*
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: Yes*
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Note: Only one of the above listed requirements can be fulfilled with this course.
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Final Exam Given: No
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: Yes
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: Attendance necessary

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.