Mastering Consultant Dialogues and Common Mistakes (Plenary VI)

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

8:50 AM - 9:35 AM PT

Location: Grand III - 4th Floor

CE: 0.75 CME Credit

Speaker(s)

Brian Acunto, DO, EJD, FACOEP, FACEP

Attending Physician, Chair Emergency Services, Medical Safety Officer
Atlanticare Refgional Medical Center
Brigantine, New Jersey

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Session Moderator(s)

Julie T. Vieth, MD FAAEM

Division Chief, Clinical Operations; Medical Director
University of Vermont Health Network
Shelburne, Vermont

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Leah Colucci, MD MS

Past-President
AAEM, Resident and Student Association
WOODBRIDGE, Connecticut

Disclosure information not submitted.

Disclosure(s):

Brian Acunto, DO, EJD, FACOEP, FACEP: No financial relationships to disclose

“AA, could you please get Orthopedics on the line?”
But when you speak to the orthopedist—does that count as a formal consult?

In emergency medicine, consulting other specialists during a shift is part of our daily workflow. These conversations often seem routine—until they're not. The trouble usually arises when a legal case brings those interactions under scrutiny.

Was it a formal consultation or merely a curbside opinion? Is the documentation of that exchange admissible in court, or could it be dismissed as hearsay?

This lecture will explore the legal and professional challenges emergency physicians face when communicating with consultants. We'll break down why these interactions can pose significant risk, how they can be interpreted in a legal setting, and, most importantly, how to protect yourself and your practice through better documentation and communication strategies.

Learning Objectives:

Identify and analyze key medicolegal risks emergency physicians face in their interactions with consultants.
Demonstrate how the rules of evidence can influence the legal interpretation of conversations with consulting physicians.
Develop effective strategies to document and defend clinical decisions when consultant communications are scrutinized in legal proceedings.