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The article examines the state of mandatory random drug testing of physicians across the U.S. Topics discussed include a history of U.S. laws on mandatory drug testing of physicians, the prevalence of substance abuse disorders among physicians in the country, and legal challenges to the federal random drug testing programs.

When medical AI systems fail, who should be responsible, and how? We argue that various features of medical AI complicate the application of existing tort doctrines and render them ineffective at creating incentives for the safe and effective use of medical AI. In addition to complexity and opacity, the problem of contextual bias, where medical AI systems vary substantially in performance from place to place, hampers traditional doctrines. We suggest instead the application of enterprise liability to hospitals--making them broadly liable for negligent injuries occurring within the hospital system--with an important caveat: hospitals must have access to the information needed for adaptation and monitoring. If that information is unavailable, we suggest that liability should shift from hospitals to the developers keeping information secret. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Viewpoint discusses whether the federal EMTALA act requires that hospitals provide abortions when needed to protect the health of the pregnant person, even if prohibited by state law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Viewpoint, the authors refute recent suggestions that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not accountable for its decisions, pointing out the legal, legislative, and executive checks and balances on the agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Viewpoint examines current state-level approaches to addressing the increased incidence of violence against health care workers, as well as how laws are adapting to protect health care personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenges of building a diverse health care workforce following the US Supreme Court decision against affirmative action. Topics include the impact of the UC Davis Scale on applicants, the advantages and disadvantages related to family income in the medical school admission process, and the broader goal of decreasing health disparities through a more equitable physician selection process.

The article presents a case study of a patient with abdominal ileus masquerading as acute coronary syndrome, underscoring the importance of considering extra-cardiac pathophysiology in evaluating cardiac complaints, particularly in the context of abdominal distention, which can exert pressure on neighboring organs within the thoracic cavity, potentially leading to myocardial ischemia and electrocardiographic changes consistent with myocardial infarction.

The article focuses on the importance and uncertainties surrounding the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Treaty aimed at strengthening global health systems against future pandemics. Topics include the treaty's emphasis on equity and international collaboration; the concerns about national sovereignty raised by some countries; and the mixed political reception in the U.S. regarding its potential ratification.

The Medicare Advantage Program, home to nearly half of the eligible Medicare population, has recently come under increased scrutiny. The Government Accountability Office called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to monitor "disenrollment of MA beneficiaries in the last year of life, validate MA-provided encounter data, and strengthen audits used to identify and recover improper payments to MA plans." The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy & Commerce, dedicated a hearing to "Protecting America's Seniors: Oversight of Private Sector Medicare Advantage Plans." In addition, a recently conducted audit of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns over "denials of prior authorization requests" and "beneficiary access to medically necessary care." In this article we consider the backdrop for the growing scrutiny of the MA program and the implications thereof to its future trajectory., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None., (© Copyright by the American Board of Family Medicine.)