Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS (Professor of Geriatric Medicine, UCSF) frames her recently published data on social isolation and loneliness as medical issues in the context of the Surgeon General’s report stating that “loneliness in older adults is a health priority.” We then turn to a situation many doctors would not have necessarily have thought was related to them. The charges were recently dropped against Alec Baldwin in the case of the cinematographer who was killed on his movie set when a real bullet was fired instead of a blank, but charges are still pending against the armorer who loaded the gun that was given to him. Many doctors are confused about this; does it suggest that if someone assisting a doctor misinforms them about a patient or hands them a wrong medicine that liability stops with that assistant? Our regular contributor, Dr. MedLaw (board-certified radiologist and malpractice attorney) answers these and other related questions.
Enjoy listening!
Further reading
Holt-Lunstad J, Perissinotto C. Social Isolation and Loneliness as Medical Issues. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jan 19;388(3):193-195.
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