A 47-year-old man with no history of migraine comes to his longtime nurse practitioner with a new pulsating headache, nausea, and light sensitivity, and nothing on the exam looks alarming. Over the next two months the NP escalates his care at every step, with an MRI, two neurology referrals, and an ER visit, until he’s finally diagnosed with a rare, devastating encephalitis. In this episode of Scrubs and Subpoenas, Dr. Wendy Wright and Dr. Sally Miller look at how a case that met the standard of care still ended in a $2 million settlement, and why the malpractice carrier, not the NP, made that call. They also share practical ways to protect yourself and your patients, including documenting ED recommendations, using the Z code for treatment refusal, and pushing back when referrals don’t give you answers.

An imperfect suicide risk assessment can end in disaster, and this episode dives into the grave effects of misdiagnosis in psychiatric care. We take a roller coaster journey through a young adult's intense psychotic episode, subsequent gaps in diagnosis and care, and a tragic end. Dr. Sally Miller and Wendy Wright discuss the crucial implications of stepping outside clinical scope, misuse of clinical terms in documentation, and language barriers in mental health assessment. Learn how to close these gaps before they cost a life, and how to protect yourself when they do.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/MBgVb6M6T2k?si=HAYYtYWiLYCwuayh

Scrubs & Subpoenas is back! Host Dr. Sally Miller and Fitzgerald faculty member Wendy Wright break down a pediatric misdiagnosis that became a malpractice case: a 10-year-old boy with persistent abdominal and neck pain, normal diagnostic workups, and a final finding of papilledema. Learn how to protect your patient when the tests come back clean but the symptoms continue, and how to protect yourself from litigation when they do.