Kansas And Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Discusses The Importance Of Effective Doctor-Patient Communication

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Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger has vast experience representing medical professionals who are facing professional discipline. Through her experience, she has learned that effective communication between the healthcare provider and the patient is essential. Physicians and other medical professionals have an obligation to communicate with their patients. Patients need to know their diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options.  Those concepts must be communicated to the patient to help them make an informed decision about their health.  Some doctors refuse to discuss those options with their patients. To be sure, some patients do not want to hear what the doctor has to say.

According to a recent story by CNN, many cancer patients do not know the options they have or their exact prognosis. Oncologists are not providing their patients with information to help them make an informed decision on their care. Cancer patients have more treatment options now than ever before, yet many do not know about them. Their doctors have refused, for whatever reason, to tell them about potential life-saving or life-prolonging treatment options.

Some experts have opined that doctors cannot effectively communicate with their patients. Doctors can say a lot; they can use copious amounts of words. But they do not actually say anything meaningful to the patient. Communicating effectively necessarily includes talking with a patient to help them understand the situation in words that they can understand. Communicating effectively also entails taking the appropriate amount of time for the patient to ask questions and digest and figure out what is happening. Emotions can run high. The doctor can use clinical terminology and precisely describe, as only a medical practitioner can understand, the patient’s predicament. Speaking in that manner is of little to no utility to the patient. Talking to someone about the disease that can kill them is not a time for the physician to demonstrate their intellect. It is about the patient, not them.

Many cancer patients do not know their prognosis and how much time they have to live or whether their condition is curable. One physician interviewed for CNN’s article describes that situation as utterly irresponsible on the doctor’s behalf. But, in the doctor’s defense, they might not know about the patient’s lack of information because they might have had the discussion with their patient. Their patient might not have had the capacity to understand because of their emotional state. Concomitantly, their patient might not have asked to clarify if they did not understand. Effective communication is a two-way street.

The failure of communication between patient and oncologist is more rampant than one would initially estimate. CNN cited a study that concluded only 5 percent of cancer patients with less than six months to live accurately knew their dire situation. According to that same study, an unbelievable Thirty-eight percent of patients could not recall talking with their doctors about how long they could live. A similar study from 2012 cited by CNN concluded that 81 percent of people who have advanced colon cancer and 69 percent of lung cancer patients whose cancer metastasized thought they could be cured. There is no excuse for that misunderstanding: both of those conditions are understood to be inexorably fatal.

Healthcare providers should take great pains to explain their patient’s situation thoroughly. Even if they have to be the bearer of bad news, a physician owes it to a patient to tell them so they can understand what is happening. Conversely, the failure to do so could result in a malpractice claim or an investigation into an ethical violation by the Board of Medical Arts.

Professional Discipline Attorney With Proven Results

Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger will vigorously defend your rights in a disciplinary investigation and proceeding. Call Attorney Danielle Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule an appointment.

Kansas And Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Asks Whether It is Ethical To Hasten One Death To Save Another Person?

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Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger believes this is an important question to ask even if the answer at first blush might be repugnant. However, police are investigating an anesthesiologist in Los Angeles, CA for doing just that. The Los Angeles County coroner is conducting an investigation, in conjunction with local law enforcement authorities, into whether the physician gave a high dose of a powerful painkiller to kill an 8-year-old child faster so that the child’s organs could be harvested and sent to transplant patients.

According to Foxnews.com, in 2013, the 8-year-old child suffered cardiac arrest when the child was found hanging out of a washing machine. The child nearly drowned. Notwithstanding the heroic efforts of medical technicians, the child was saved; however, the child was placed on life support. The child’s family decided to remove the life support apparatus and subsequently the child passed away. The initial coroner’s report ruled the death an accident by near drowning. The child also suffered from “fragile x syndrome” which is a genetic abnormality causing developmental and intellectual deficiencies.

One of the L.A. County coroner’s investigators questioned the medical procedure that child received. The investigator wanted to delve into the reasons the anesthesiologist at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center administered a very high dose of fentanyl. The medical examiner at the time did not indicate a further investigation was necessary. A new chief medical examiner for the L.A. County coroner’s office subsequently added fentanyl overdose to the child’s cause of death but only after the investigator pushed for the change.

The issue came to light recently in a “whistleblower” lawsuit. The investigator sued L.A. County for damages claiming she was fired as retaliation for her persistent pursuit of what she believed was a contributing cause of death of the child. The lawsuit revealed the question asked by the coroner’s investigator.

The young boy was never going to regain consciousness or brain function after spending 25 minutes face down hanging out of a washing machine. The boy’s heart stopped, but paramedics were able to restart it. Unfortunately, the brain was irrevocably damaged. The child was not clinically brain dead, but his parents knew he would never awaken. They decided to remove him from life support and donate his organs.

Physicians could not harvest the boy’s organs until his heart stopped beating even though the ventilator was removed. Organs begin to decay only after 30 minutes of oxygen deprivation.  During that time, the anesthesiologist attending to the child gave a dosage of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. Physicians do not know whether people in the state in which the child lay feel pain. Consequently, physicians order painkilling medication just in case.

UCLA Medical Center policy approves using painkillers in a situation such as this. However, hospital policy expressly forbids hastening a death to preserve organs. Medical records produced in the lawsuit only indicate that the dying boy received comfort measures. No reference was made to the use of Fentanyl. However, the coroner’s office determined that the boy received 500 micrograms of the drug despite his tiny frame which carried merely 47 pounds.

Additional evidence leads one to question whether the anesthesiologist violated hospital policy and the ethics of her profession. According to the lawsuit, after doctors removed the ventilator, the boy gasped for air until the anesthesiologist administered the pain medication. Then, the boy peacefully slipped away.

Zealous Representation For Medical Professionals Facing Discipline

Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger is a zealous advocate for professional licensees. She has dedicated her practice to fighting for people to keep their livelihood and their careers when facing discipline. Contact Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353.

Missouri Nursing Discipline Explained

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Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger has tremendous experience in her legal career representing nurses facing professional discipline. Attorney Sanger understands that nurses play an invaluable role in our healthcare.  Rather, they are the liaison between patient and physician. Not only do they assist doctors with monitoring patients, taking vital signs, and delivering medication, nurses also provide emotion support for patients. In that regard, nurses are more than assistants to physicians. A well-trained and caring nurse can help ease the emotional pain, uncertainty, and discomfort of a patient, and the patient’s family. Nurses seem to know innately when a smile can put a patient at ease or a reassuring touch will ultimately disarm a patient.

Despite all of the benefit nurses provide to their patients, it must be understood that nurses are fallible human beings like the rest of us. Nurses can become overwhelmed by stress. They are just as likely as anyone else to mistakes, oversights, misinterpretation, and other failures like substance abuse even if they are the most vigilant, scrupulous, attentive, and professional nurse. Simply put, things happen.

Nurses who fall on hard times should take care of not allowing a bad day spin or couple of days spin out of control. A lot can happen in a short time frame. It is important that you maintain perspective. Nurses owe a duty to their patients to give them the best care possible. Any failure to meet that standard could result in professional discipline. Consequently, if your personal or professional life is taking its toll on your performance, you must seek assistance. Talk with your nursing manager, human resources department, or head physician and discuss with those stakeholders the issues with which you face. Speak with resources provided by the nursing board. There is no need to go it alone.

The Missouri Board of Nursing (“the Board”) can take disciplinary action on your license if you violate the Missouri Nursing Act. The Act permits the Board to initiate disciplinary action if a nurse:

  • abuses substances, alcohol, or both to the extent that their ability to perform the tasks attendant to nursing is compromised;
  • perpetrates a fraud or deceit upon a patient or the public at large;
  • is convicted of a crime or pleads nolo contendre that calls into question the nurse’s ability to perform the job functions, is a crime of moral turpitude or is a crime of deceit; and
  • Is grossly incompetent or repeatedly negligent.

These are the most common infractions committed by nurses. The Act contains additional grounds for discipline.

The Board has the discretion to mete a punishment for a violation of the Act. The Board can consider the nature of the allegations, the nurse’s record of professional discipline, the severity of the infraction, and any other factor the Board deems to be relevant.

The Board has available to it four categories of disciplinary action. They are censure, probation, suspension, and revocation. Censure is the least severe punishment. Censure is a public reprimand that the Board retains in your personnel file as a record of discipline. Censure serves as a reminder to correct the action the Board ruled violated the Act. The Board may place a nurse on probation for a period. A nurse can practice but is subject to conditions on the license for a specified length of time. Suspension and revocation are the most serious punishments. A suspension cannot last longer than three years. However, revocation may be permanent. A nurse is permitted to reapply for reinstatement after one year after a nursing license was revoked.

Aggressive Representation To Protect Your Nursing License

Nursing is more than a job; it is a calling. Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger understands the sacrifices as a nurse makes. She will vigorously advocate for you if you face professional discipline or are under investigation. Call Attorney Danielle Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule an appointment.

Medical Professionals Have An Ethical Duty To Prevent Assaults In Their Practice

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According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, law enforcement officers in Fulton County Georgia charged a man with crimes related to sexually assaulting women who were under anesthesia. The male nurse was booked into the Fulton County jail on allegations of two counts of sexual battery and two counts of custodial sexual assault. The man turned himself into the jail approximately one week after a warrant issued for his arrest.

The nurse was an employee of a healthcare facility that performed endoscopies. Law enforcement alleges that the nurse groped two while they were under the effects of anesthesia. To this point, only two women have come forward. There may be more victims.

The allegations came to light when a pastor at a local church gave Sandy Springs police information that the nurse molested several women at the clinic, all of whom were suffering from the effects of anesthesia. The pastors told police that they learned the nurse began looking that the women in an inappropriate manner, lifted the women’s shirts, removed their bras, and fondled their breasts.

The pastors learned of this information from conversations with the male nurse allegedly. The pastors spoke with a police officer initially then were taken to speak with a detective. The detective issued a warrant for the male nurse’s arrest after the interview with the pastors. One police officer summed up the gravity of the situation nicely by stating that the crime was particularly egregious because the patients believed they were in a place in which they were completely safe. There was no cause for concern, initially. Allowing yourself to be placed under anesthesia requires a level of trust on the patient’s behalf.

The nurse’s employer immediately fired him upon learning of the allegations. The facility’s lawyer stated that his clients were shocked by the allegations. Through its counsel, the healthcare facility said that they perform background checks for all of their employees before hiring them, including the nurse against whom the allegations were made. The facility also pledged to cooperate with police in their investigation. Law enforcement authorities are asking for anyone with additional information to come forward.

In Kansas, each physician has an obligation to practice medicine competently and honorably. Furthermore, any surgical procedures which physicians perform at their office instead a hospital must be under conditions that are sanitary and safe, according to Kansas State regulations. The regulations specify that every doctor’s office is satisfied regulatory standards including preventing foreseeable harm to patients, staff, and to the public. Additionally, physician’s offices must be constructed in a manner that prevents unauthorized individuals from entering certain areas of the office such as recovery rooms and patient record rooms. So important is the safety of patients that the regulations require a physician to report any issues they experience with patient and staff safety.

Missouri’s Healing Arts Practice Act also obligates physicians and other healthcare professionals to protect their patients’ physical and mental well-being. Included in that duty would be the obligation to protect a patient from being physically attacked in the doctor’s office. The physician has a concomitant obligation to protect patients from physical harm as they do to protect the patient from being harmed by malpractice.

Doctors offices should take all reasonable measures to determine who their employees are by performing background checks, even if they are licensed by a state board of registration. Additionally, medical offices should have a system in place to have more than one employee watch over patients recovering from anesthesia.

Call For Further Information

Kansas and Missouri Professional Licensing Defense Lawyer Danielle Sanger has represented numerous health care professionals who are facing licensing discipline. Contact Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation and learn how she will vigorously defend your livelihood.

 

Kansas And Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Discusses Bullying In The Medical Field

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Our children’s schoolyards are not the only place bullying occurs. Bullying is a significant problem in the medical profession, especially among doctors and nurses. Bullying can lead to more significant problems in the workplace and can jeopardize the performance of healthcare professionals. Bullying can cause substantial job dissatisfaction as well as create or exacerbate the victim’s mental health issues by causing anxiety and depression.

It is the patients, however, who stand the most to lose. The sole reason doctors, nurses, and the myriad healthcare professionals have their positions is to treat patients. Healthcare professionals must realize, therefore, that creating a hostile work environment through bullying endangers patients.

Bullying in a hospital or healthcare setting starts at the top with the physician. Not every physician is a bully to their subordinates. On the contrary, most physicians treat their subordinates as part of a team with one goal in mind: to treat their patient to the best of their skill and ability. Bullying is not simply a matter of being bossy or sometimes condescending. In fact, treating the patient might require the physician to take charge and order people around to meet the challenge with which the medical team faces.

Bullying, on the other hand, is persistent and unwarranted condescending, berating, and abhorrent behavior by one person to their perceived subordinates. A physician is not the only person with a position in the healthcare field to have the opportunity to bully others. Nurses can bully other nurses or other positions that are perceived to be less prestigious. A hierarchy must exist to be sure. When life or death of the patient hangs in the balance, there is no place to have thin skin. As long as everyone is acting professionally and within the bounds of reason, problems may be avoided.

Unfortunately, statistics prove that many doctors are difficult to work with, especially nurses. Consider the results of a recent survey. Among the respondents, all of whom were nurses, 87 percent said that they work with physicians who will not answer their questions or return phone calls. That same survey revealed that 74 percent of nurses have dealt with physicians who were condescending and insulting. Additionally, doctors threw things at nurses 26 percent of the time. This is behavior which could be labeled as a criminal assault. Furthermore, 42 percent of physicians spread rumors, humiliated, or shamed nurses. That behavior, which is bordering on violating the criminal law, may be unethical.

Medical facilities tend to avoid confronting the issues of subordinate bullying. Whistleblowing comes at a risk for nurses. Although states have laws protecting whistleblowers from suffering negative treatment for their efforts, a nurse’s reputation could be tarnished. Furthermore, the hospital administration has an incentive not to reprimand the very physicians that give the medical facility its distinguished name. Those scenarios serve to protect physicians while making nurses expendable.

On the other hand, nurses have a duty to speak out against bullying. Failure to do so compromises patient safety. Bullying leads to increased health care costs and errors that ultimately harm patients. Nurses must not become too intimidated to ask questions. Doctors must learn to be receptive to nurses’ questions in the name of providing the level of health care the patient requires. Failure to do so has dire consequences. A recent study showed that 63 percent of all unanticipated deaths and permanent disability caused by malpractice could be directly linked to the failure of communication between doctor and nurse.

For Help With Professional Licensing Issues

Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger dedicated her practice to representing professional licensees like doctors and nurses who are in danger of losing their license to practice medicine. Call Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation.

Doctors Who Abuse Patients Allowed To Remain Licensed

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Physicians take the Hippocratic Oath upon becoming a physician and promise to do no harm to any patient to whom they render treatment. Some doctors fail to uphold that oath. Instead of living their professional lives by the simple promise to protect the sanctity and dignity of human life, they destroy it by sexually assaulting their patients. The problem is more pervasive than initially believed.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution conducted a thorough investigation into the frequency of sexual abuse committed by physicians. Not only did the investigation reveal that the problem is far too common, but the coverups by hospitals and other organizations also shocks the conscience. Many physicians are getting away with sexual assault and given second chances to correct their behavior, only to go and re-offend.

The newspaper’s investigation yielded surprising results. After reviewing 100,000 disciplinary rulings and other documents, the journalists found that 3,100 doctors received public discipline since 1999 involve some illicit sexual conduct. More than 2,400 of those disciplinary cases referred to sexual abuse of a patient. The remaining cases involved sexual harassment, public indecency, and other forms of sexual deviance.

What these cases show is a physician taking advantage of their power and prestige to fulfill their own sexual desires. Doctors can ask a person to take their clothing off without an objection. The patient is extremely vulnerable to the physician. Unethical and deviant doctors can take advantage of the situation. According to the investigation conducted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, doctors would use suggestive or make inappropriate comments during intimate exams. Also, doctors would molest their patients, masturbate in front of the patient, swap drugs for sex, or commit rape. Doctors can document the exam with vague language that seemingly indicates that the patient consented to whatever occurred in the exam room. Consent is a tricky issue in this instance because of the disparity of power between the doctor and patient.

One advocate for sexual assault victims blames the deference the typical patient shows the doctor. As patients, we are sometimes helpless and at the mercy of the physician. Healthcare professionals could take advantage of the situation. After the incident, the patient could blame himself or herself for the assault. They could also be left with a sense of disbelief that a doctor could violate a patient’s trust in that manner.

State Boards of Medicine take allegations of sexual assault seriously. They can suspend the doctor’s license for the length of time the particular state’s law allows. At the end of the suspension period, the doctor’s license may be reinstated by the Board of Healing Arts. Of course, that assumes the doctor did not face a prosecution for a crime. Many times the doctor receives the benefit of the doubt if he or she admits to a problem, confronts the problem, and take the necessary steps to prevent recidivism. The investigative reporters found that in Kansas and Georgia, 2/3s of all physicians disciplined for sexual misconduct were allowed to resume the practice of medicine. In some instances, the Board of Healing Arts, the accused physician, and the victim reached private settlements. Consequently, the information does not become public.

Some sexual predators are brought to justice. For instance, a physician’s assistant who worked that the VA Hospital in Leavenworth faces criminal charges and his employer is facing a civil lawsuit based on the sexual misconduct of the individual.

You Deserve Zealous Representation No Matter What Allegations You Face

If you are facing professional discipline, Kansas Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger can help. Attorney Sanger takes great pride in representing professionals facing licensing discipline. Call Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation.

Missouri Professional Licensing Defense Attorney Talks About Complying With OSHA Standards Can Help Clinicians Avoid Professional Discipline

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated guidelines for safety in clinical offices. OSHA operates on the simple premise that employers have an obligation to provide their employees with a safe work environment. Issues about workplace safety can arise during the course of treatment of a patient. It is important to recognize the potential occupational pitfalls a doctor, dentist, or another clinician must avoid maintaining the safety of their employees and patients as well. You could face professional licensing discipline if you fail to satisfy OSHA’s standards for clinical practice if the violation compromises patient safety. Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger zealously advocates for healthcare professionals and other professional licensees facing professional discipline.

While compliance with OSHA regulations appears on its face to be onerous, the regulations purport to provide a valuable service for healthcare practitioners. Following OSHA guidelines permits employers to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. Doing so keeps overhead down while promoting quality patient care by maintaining continuity of employees. Reducing workplace injuries and illness enhances employee morale because employees know that their employer wants them to be physically safe in their work environment.  Every employee is owed the right to work in a safe environment. That means the temporary medical assistant to the longest tenured physician enjoys the right to a safe work environment.

OSHA recommends establishing an office or clinic protocols that employers and employees must follow to ensure a safe work environment. OSHA’s regulations apply to every employer, no matter the number. There are no exceptions. To maintain a safe workplace, OSHA recommends:

  • establishing office protocols, policies, and procedures that comply with OSHA regulations;
  • identifying safety hazards such as biohazards, radiation hazards, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards as well;
  • taking steps to protect workers from infection from various sources;
  • being certain to store medicines securely and protect workers from medical waste contamination;
  • hanging required OSHA posters and required notices, and
  • providing training to employees regarding clinical safety measures.

OSHA requires employers to make sure labels are appropriately affixed when necessary. Additionally, fire exits must be designated and map provided to the nearest exit. Furthermore, steps must be taken to protect staff members from radiation exposure from X-ray machines, MRI’s, and CT-scan machines.

One issue clinicians must not overlook is the electrical requirements OSHA promulgated. OSHA has strict guidelines for electrical safety. If the office uses gasses, for instance, “laughing gas” in a dentist’s office, then the office must contain the necessary wiring to prevent fire and explosions.

Employers should not take these requirements lightly. Following OSHA’s mandates can save money in the long run. OSHA recommends that employers communicate with their subordinates a desire to have a safe workplace. Additionally, employers should establish clear goals and objectives. The goals should be measurable, realistic, and attainable. One way to accomplish that mission is to assign tasks to particular employees and put them in charge of a particular aspect of the clinic’s safety plan. Employers should allow time for employees to familiarize themselves with the safety plans issued by the clinic. Not allowing the necessary time for employees to become familiar with the safety requirements of their office will be counterproductive and provide a disincentive for employees to follow the safety protocols of the medical office. Finally, the employer should demand compliance with the safety programs define by their employer.

Professional Licensing Attorney Available To Assist

Kansas and Missouri Professional Licensing Defense Attorney Danielle Sanger is an aggressive advocate for the professional licensee. If you are facing the prospect of losing your professional license, call Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule an appointment.

 

Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Addresses Code Of Conduct For Architects And Similar Professions

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The Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Professional Landscape Architects (the Board) is the licensing authority for those practicing in these professions. The Board must ensure that licensees are qualified to practice these professions and follow the rules of professional conduct regulating them. Thus, the Board performs a vital function for the residents of Missouri be ensuring that people who practice architecture, professional engineering, land surveying, and professional landscape architecture possess the requisite skill and workmanship ethically. Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger is a skilled and experienced advocate for professional licensees in Missouri.

The Missouri state regulations governing architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects require the practitioners of each profession to be familiar with and understand the rules of conduct. The rules of professional conduct for architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects are substantially similar to the rules of professional conduct governing professions like healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses, with exceptions for rules that were explicitly passed for each occupation. The Board is the sole enforcement authority for the rules. The Board will file a complaint with the Missouri Administrative Hearings Commission if it has sufficient evidence that a member violated a rule of conduct.

The foundation for the standards of professional conduct is the protection of the public. In the case of these professions, the public must be protected from shoddy work when licensees are designing buildings, public works projects, designating boundaries of land, and preserving the integrity of the land upon which buildings are situated. Therefore, the priority of the Board and the rules that it enforces is to make certain that every licensee must act with “reasonable care and competence.” Additionally, each licensee must “apply the technical knowledge and skill which are ordinarily applied by architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects.” The rules or regulations do not endeavor to delineate what is meant by phrases such as “reasonable care” and “ordinarily applied.”

Licensees monitored by the Board have every right to earn a living and receive remuneration for their work. However, in further protecting the public, architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects must refuse to engage in any self-dealing. Self-dealing has a broader application than financial interests. Self-dealing could mean anything which involves a licensee compromising his or her professional standards for which a personal advantage may be gained. Furthermore, no licensee may take any monetary compensation or other compensation for referring another professional’s services. Licensees must not offer financial awards or other valuable compensation in an attempt to obtain employment.

Licensees have an obligation to use their best professional judgment. Consequently, anytime the licensee’s judgment is questioned the licensee must notify their employer immediately if the public welfare of safety is compromised. A necessary component a licensee using his or her best judgment involves practicing within their area of expertise and technical knowledge consistent with the training and education they have received.

Licensees must also protect the integrity of their profession. Therefore, they must not attempt to injure other licensees’ professional reputations. Additionally, licensees must maintain all confidences about which they learn while performing the duties for which they are contracted. Licensees must cooperate with Board investigations if they are being investigated or are questioned during an inquiry into another licensee’s conduct.

Call For Help Today If You Are Facing Professional Discipline

Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger aggressively defends professional licensees facing disciplinary action. Contact Attorney Sanger immediately if a licensing authority has commenced an investigation into your professional conduct. Call 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation today to learn how experience coupled with aggressive defense can make the difference for you.

Kansas and Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Discusses Ethical Considerations Of Online Therapy

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With so much of our lives entombed in computers, there is little surprise that therapy sessions are now available online. The American Psychological Association (APA) calls the trend “telepsychology.” Telepsychology, according to the APA is the general rubric for any therapy session that is conducted either online, via a web service, or over a telecommunications portal. Both Missouri and Kansas now authorize their licensed therapists to conduct online therapy sessions.

Telepsychology has a tremendous upside, but therapists must be aware of the potential ethical pitfalls. If you are a therapist who has encountered disciplinary action because of online therapy or for any other reason, Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger has over a decade of experience fighting to protect therapists from allegations of ethical violations.

Some therapists offer video sessions via an online portal like Skype. One company has advanced the idea and has created a computer platform dedicated to facilitating therapeutical appointments without the face to face interaction. The service boasts that use of its portal will reduce costs significantly for patients and be considerably more convenient.

The program works more like a dating service than a referral system. Prospective patients complete an assessment form. The form is analyzed and categorized by individual metrics based on how the patient answers questions on the evaluation form. Next, the patient is matched with a therapist if the patient enrolls in the service. The service plans begin at $32 per week. The patient is eligible to conduct online therapy sessions once the transaction is consummated.

Prospective patients should not be misled. The minimum service is $32 per week. This allows for unlimited text or email exchanges. The website marketing this service indicates that therapists will respond one to two times per day. If written responses are insufficient for the patient, then they can schedule an online chat through a portal like Skype. The service does not indicate what the costs are for a streaming conference session. The website does discuss that couples therapy costs $59 per week. Additionally, the website offers gift cards and corporate functions as well.

The therapeutic services available on the website are what one would expect a psychologist or therapist to provide. They want to attract people who are having relationship difficulties, job problems, feeling trapped, or unable to achieve their goals. The service does have emergency response resources available for individuals who are suicidal or homicidal. However, the website redirects people in crisis to call 911 or present to an emergency room.

One service it does boast is assistance with social media dependence. The service claims that people become depressed and anxious after looking at social media too long. Therefore, some people may require talk therapy to work out their problems caused by prolonged exposure to social media.

Many testimonials posted on the service’s website exclaim the virtue of texting their therapist instead of treating in a traditional setting. Some said that removing the discomfort of face-to-face interaction allowed them to express themselves more accurately. Some people claimed to like the convenience of texting their therapist whenever they wanted to do so.

Therapists who chose to treat their patients this way must be wary of maintaining confidences. Therapists must be aware of protecting privacy and securing privileged information that is stored electronically. Additionally, therapists must be careful not to mislead others while participating in this service.

For More Information

Many people, especially those folks who are busy or live in remote areas who simply do not have the time or the resources to attend regular appointments can benefit from online therapy. As time passes, more and more services will be hosted online. As a result, many ethical questions will need answers. You can turn to Kansas and Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger for representation if you are facing a disciplinary hearing or investigation. Call Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation and learn how her years of experience and aggressive defense of professional licensees will benefit you.

Kansas Professional Licensing Attorney Discusses Code of Ethics for Emergency Medical Technicians

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Emergency medical service (EMS) providers may be better known as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). The title also includes paramedics. However one refers to them, EMTs are on the front lines helping save people every day by responding to car accidents, heart attacks, strokes, choking victims, people who stopped breathing, drug overdoses, gunshot victims, women who are giving birth, and countless other medical emergencies. They do their jobs well and in dire situations which force them to summons all of their strength and professionalism to make it through. Sometimes it works out for the best, and sometimes it does not, unfortunately.  When it does not work out well for a victim or the victim’s family, they might try to assess blame for the death or injury to a loved one by filing a complaint against the EMTs who responded to the situation. If that happens, Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney will zealously advocate on the EMTs’ behalf to protect his or her livelihood and professional reputation.

EMTs are licensed medical professionals in both Kansas and Missouri. In each state, EMS candidates must satisfy a rigorous training and educational course before they can provide emergency services.  Once the EMS practitioner receives his or her license to work as an EMT, they must renew their certifications and take continuing educational classes.

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) has promulgated a code for its members to follow. The code may serve as the foundation upon which EMTs services are provided and the manner in which EMTs provide them. EMS practitioners are sworn to uphold a code; an ethic that reinforces that they must be selfless, professional, and compassionate performing the job they do. The code embodies everything an EMT must be.

The NAEMT code was designed by its authors to enrich the quality of care, and service EMTs provide. Therefore, to abide by the code, EMS practitioners must:

  • Do what they can to preserve life and eliminate pain and suffering. They must not do harm and must provide emergency medical services with equality for all who rely on them for care;
  • EMTs must maintain the dignity of human life. They must not evince any prejudice toward any person. Rather, EMTS must treat people with compassion and respect without regard to race, color, creed, or socio-economic status in life;
  • EMTs must always act for the well-being of the public good;
  • EMTS shall not disclose confidential information;
  • EMS practitioners may use social media but should not compromise their professional integrity or shame the profession in any way;
  • EMS providers must maintain and demonstrate technical competence at all times;
  • EMTS shall maintain the highest standards in the practice and continue to educate themselves on new techniques in addition to maintaining competence in current technologies;
  • Individuals should use their best judgment at all times;
  • EMS providers must cooperate with other healthcare providers, so the patient for which care is given receives the highest-quality healthcare; and
  • EMS practitioners must report unethical or incompetent practitioners or practices as well as refuse to participate in unethical practices.

Following this code allows the EMS providers to care for patients not only with care, compassion, and dignity, but to perform technical, life-saving measures when called upon to do so.

Attorney Danielle Sanger; Aggressive Defense of EMTS In Kansas and Missouri

Kansas Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger understands and appreciates the sacrifices EMTs make every day for the good of us all. If you are an EMTs facing professional discipline, contact Attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation. Attorney Sanger will use her vast experience to defend you and your profession.