Medicolegal applications of PET scans

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mehr, Samuel H.^{a; *} | Gerdes, Stephen L.^b

Affiliations: [a] Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center, 7500 Mercy Rd., Omaha, NE 68124-9832, USA | [b] 11920 Burt St., Suite 145, Omaha, NE 68154-1574, USA

Correspondence: [*] Tel.: +1 402 3986984; Fax: +1 402 3986714; E-mail: SamMehrMD@radiologist.com

Abstract: Courts will allow doctors to testify about the results of PET scans only if doctors provide proper legal foundation for their opinions. Doctors must document that they have used proper scientific techniques in performing the scan. They must also be prepared to explain why PET scans are scientifically reliable when used on patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Keywords: legal foundation, reasonable medical certainty or probability, scientific reliability, PET scan, mild traumatic brain injury

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-2001-16204

Journal: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 87-92, 2001