Firearms law raises issue of MDs' duty to predict and report potentially violent patients.
The possibility that an amendment to new firearms legislation would require physicians to report potentially violent patients raises the controversial issues of physicians' legal duty to warn and the ability of physicians and other health care professionals to predict violent behaviour. For these reasons, it will be necessary to follow carefully any proposed amendments to the legislation.
Capen
K
K
D002170:Canada; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000517:prevention & control; D017007:Duty to Warn / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention