You’ve Agreed to Participate in a Tribunal. What do you need to know?
- Time commitment:
In advance of the tribunal, the physician receives, and is expected to review and be familiar with, various documents (e.g., offer of proof, expert report, complaint, medical records, and others) in each case. Review of these materials
may take about an hour in each case. Upon arrival at the court, the members of the tribunal (physician, judge, and attorney) meet to discuss the case, and then go to a tribunal hearing, which may last 15 to 45 minutes per case. Several hearings
can take place on the same day, often back-to-back. After the hearing, the tribunal members will deliberate and reach a determination regarding the case’s apparent merits.
Based on physician feedback, we understand that the court clerk scheduling the tribunal will contact the physician a month or more in advance of the proposed tribunal hearing date. There is often flexibility as to the time and date.
If you cannot arrange a workable time with the clerk, you can decline to participate in the tribunal.
- Standard of Review.
Click
here for a write-up of the standard the tribunal applies to the case in order to determine if the case should proceed to trial.
- Compensation
You will receive a $50 stipend per case paid by the Commonwealth.
- Learning objectives for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for this activity.
When you have completed this activity, you should be able to:
- Describe the tribunal process
- List events that may have led to suit being filed
- Explain the importance of the tribunal
- Understand and apply the correct standard of review for the tribunal
- Describe the role of the physician member of the tribunal
- How to receive your AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for your participation in the tribunal.
- Review the materials on this page, including the standard of review document, and on the “About the Tribunal”
page;
- Go
here to answer a few questions to verify your participation;
- Await an email from our Continuing Medical Education department containing an evaluation;
- Fill in the evaluation; and
- Receive credit!
Accreditation Statement
The Massachusetts Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
AMA Credit Designation Statement
The Massachusetts Medical Society designates this other activity (consisting of live and enduring material) for a maximum of 3.00
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This activity meets the criteria for the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for risk management study.
Disclosure
All individuals in control of the content for a Massachusetts Medical Society accredited continuing education activity must disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies for the past 24-months. For this activity, individuals in control
of content did not disclose any relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.
