by John M. James, PhD, MA, MDiv and W. Edward Davis, MD, MBA, MMM, 269 pp. $49.95, Lafayette, CA, Physician Health Publications, 2006. www.physicianhealthpublications.com
This book provides insight into what physicians may experience as a result of litigation. It contains both scientific and practical information needed to understand and respond to the pressure of a medical malpractice crisis, and serves as a survival manual for physicians who have been sued as well as a guide for those who live and work with them.
The book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter describes the impact of litigation on physicians. The next chapters help to explain a physician's reaction to litigation by discussing physicians' personalities. A chapter on the neurophysiology of post-traumatic stress syndrome is provided for those with a basic science interest. The authors then discuss the impact of litigation stress on others and the phases of the litigation process. Finally, they provide strategies for proactive response and a short discussion on how to prepare for the possibility of litigation.
The authors are Dr. John James, a psychotherapist and educator in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Dr. W. Edward Davis, the Department Head of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.
This text is easy to read and provides insight as well as resources. The information and recommendations will help participants in malpractice suits deal with the sense of isolation and stress they are likely to experience. I would highly recommend this publication to physicians involved in malpractice litigation. It will be a valuable resource for them and for those they care about. Also, statistics strongly identify a significant risk for any practicing physician who has not been sued. The material in this text provides insights into an extremely stressful process and could be of significant assistance to physicians and their colleagues.
- Ochsner Clinic and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation
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