The interfaces of law and medicine

The relationship between the legal and medical professions is improving, but many problems remain. There has been been and continues to be substantial growth in medicolegal organizations of various kinds. Better medicolegal investigative methods are being developed, and medicolegal teaching programs are on the increase. The two professions have worked together successfully on such problems as human heart transplantation and drug abuse. On the other hand, several problem areas continue to cause difficulty and friction, including medical experimentation on humans, the legal definition of death, abortion, euthanasia, and medical malpractice. The author calls on the existing medicolegal organizations to apply their expertise and influence to define and resolve these problems.