Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal issues: The Cross-Examination debate in medical cases

The Cross-Examination debate in medical cases

A system of the cross examination trial/debate format in medical care/cases in western countries is developed by medical forums & forensic association to self-regulate the quality/standard of medical care delivery system and defend the cases of medical negligence with decorum as a lesson for further improvement in quality medical care and reduced medical error. The cases of medical negligence against the doctor causes an unrest to the medical professional and has no guidance is available in our country to defend the same by medical association/council.

The Cross-Examination debate in medical cases/negligence uses a team oriented, switch-sides format.  Debates are held between two person teams of doctors. The affirmative team is assigned the role of supporting the proposition, and the negative team is assigned the role of opposing the proposition.  During the course of a tournament, you will be assigned to argue the affirmative side in about half of your tournament debates, and the negative side in the remaining debates. The cross-examination format involves eight speeches and four cross-examination sessions. The first four speeches are designated as constructive speeches. These are longer speeches, and are open to new lines of argument at any point in time. The final four speeches are designated as rebuttal speeches. These shorter speeches are reserved for summaries, which mean they are not open to new lines of argument.  Interspersed between the constructive speeches are short cross-examination sessions, in which the debater who has just finished speaking is questioned by an opponent.  During the course of the medical debate, each debater will deliver a constructive speech, a rebuttal speech, be cross-examined by an opponent, and cross-examine an opponent. The order of speech is arranged to give the affirmative the open and closing speeches in the debate.  Cross-examination debate tournaments are sanctioned by rival professional associations, the Cross Examination medical Debate Association (CEDA) and the National Debate Tournament Committee of the American Forensic Association working well in self-regulation of medical education and standard of therapeutic & diagnostic updated medical care delivery system in the larger and better interest of the patient care and decrease medical litigations in a fair/ethical ways.