A Few Questions About Medical Liability

Abstract

The doctor-patient relationship is governed by an express agreement in good will, whereby the physician commits all his/her knowledge, skills and clinical judgment to a professional practice. Medical liability is an area that gives rise to a constant debate and calls for the consolidation of consensus. This is a reflection around the article “Expert Reports due to presumptive medical liability in Bogotá”. The publication paves the way for a discussion of a relevant topic for the current practice of the medical profession, though as a result of its diverse interpretations such descriptive perspective may turn into the consolidation of a more in depth analytical study. An analytical study could lead to a different understanding about the medical liability in the country, bearing in mind the typical dynamics of the country, Colombia's General Health Care System (SGSSS), the different duties and competencies of every sectors involved and hence their particular liabilities. In most cases, the liability for malpractice could be shared among various actors; it could also be relevant to dwell on the issue of a concentration of liability cases around gynecology and obstetric cases, since this may be related to the processes typically involved in this disciplines in our country.