The ASMBS and the Patient Safety Committee would like to announce the adoption of a Policy Statement on the Qualifications of Expert Witnesses in Bariatric Surgery Medical-Legal Matters. With this policy statement, the ASMBS has taken the lead among surgical societies in guiding defense and plaintiff attorneys in the appropriate selection of expert witnesses.

The ASMBS is truly a society made of its members and we would like to thank the members for providing feedback regarding the previously distributed draft statement. All comments were read and carefully considered. Some suggestions could not be implemented due to legal or practical constraints. Others were taken to heart and significant changes were made.

We expect this policy statement to be an immediately effective tool in assisting patients, surgeons, attorneys and judges in using a foundation of reliable science to evaluate complex medical information. While much can be done to improve the medical malpractice environment for all parties, eliminating preventable patient harm by the development of safety systems should be a primary goal of all healthcare professionals.

Read the New Expert Witness Policy Statement

Ramsey Dallal, MD, FASMBS
Chair, Patient Safety Committee