Abstract
It finally happened to me: I was sued for malpractice by the family of a patient who had died suddenly. My inner turmoil in the aftermath of this traumatic event affected me deeply. While I was an experienced family doctor dedicated to patient-centered medicine, the event challenged my customary approach to my patients. I share three vignettes from my practice that describe my inner dialogue both “preprosecution” and “postprosecution” and explain how I acted in each case.
- Received for publication January 12, 2014.
- Revision received April 8, 2014.
- Accepted for publication April 18, 2014.
- © 2014 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.