ACR censures member for expert testimony

May 19, 2004

For the first time in its history, the American College of Radiology has censured one of its members for violating the ACR Code of Ethics provision on expert medical testimony.

However, the nature of the member's troubling testimony remains a mystery, since the ACR will release no information about the underlying complaint or even the name of member being censured.

The college announced Thursday morning that the private letter of censure would be placed in the member's ACR file. The announcement came after the member decided not to appeal the censure decision by the college's Committee on Ethics, which held a hearing on the case last month.

In a second case involving allegedly inappropriate expert testimony also heard in April, the committee found no ethics violations by the ACR member who was the subject of complaint, said William Shields, general counsel for the college.

The committee heard yet another complaint earlier this month; two more cases involving allegedly inappropriate expert testimony are slated to be reviewed by the committee in the next few months, Shields noted. The ACR established a formal process for reviewing complaints about expert testimony by its members just two years ago.

The ACR Code of Ethics states: "In providing expert medical testimony, radiologists and radiation oncologists should exercise extreme caution to ensure that the testimony provided is non-partisan, scientifically correct and clinically accurate."

By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
May 20, 2004