Medical Malpractice Is Topic of Forum

A mini-symposium on "The Future of Medical Malpractice" will be hosted by the Harvard Medical School Law & Medicine Society on Thursday, March 7, at 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature Nancy Dickey, chairman of the board of trustees of the American Medical Association; Pamela Liapakis, president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and Troyen Brennan, professor of law and public health at the School of Public Health. The event is cosponsored by the Medical School's William B. Castle Society, and will be held at the Medical Education Center Amphitheatre, 260 Longwood Ave., Boston.

Each speaker will present background information and outline the basics of his or her proposed policy. Dickey will speak in support of tort reform, Liapakis in support of patient's rights, and Brennan in support of a no-fault malpractice alternative. Following the three presentations, Randall Bovbjerg, of the Urban Institute, will moderate an interactive debate in which students, faculty, administrators, and guests will be able to question these leaders in the health care field.

"We would like to provide a lively format for learning and the exchange of ideas," said the officers of the Law & Medicine Society, Brett Zbar, Akshay Desai, and Derek Kunimoto, all Medical School Class of '98. "Changes in medical malpractice policy affect all aspects of health care delivery, and are closely tied to the issue of health care quality."

The Law & Medicine Society was formed by medical students wishing to address the practical and theoretical aspects of law encountered in everyday clinical medical practice. As the health care delivery system continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly important for physicians to understand issues at the expanding interface between law and medicine. In particular, the growth of managed care may dramatically alter the legal context in which physicians will make treatment decisions. For information, call Brett Zbar at 734-9967.