Stanford University

Health and Law

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Health and Law
SHP scholars examine how law and policy shape health care delivery, regulation, and access—from insurance and medical ethics to patient rights and public health—driving reforms on issues from pandemics to disparities to professional accountability. As AI transforms medicine through faster diagnostics, personalized treatment, and accelerated research, it also raises novel legal questions: liability for clinical errors, regulatory gaps, and privacy and discrimination concerns in automated care.

Health, Law, Ethics & Data

David Studdert, Michelle Mello and colleagues at Stanford Law School discuss the wide range of research and academics across the Stanford campus that focuses on how health care and policy are impacted by the law.

Health, Law, Ethics & Data
AI holds enormous promise for improving health care, but its adoption is being slowed by a fundamental trust deficit. By taking practical steps now, Congress can help close that gap.
Michelle Mello
Professor of Health Policy and of the Law

 

Watch Mello's Testimony Before U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health

Mello testifies

David Studdert Elected to National Academy of Medicine for Injury Research

David Studdert, a professor of health policy and of law, is elected to the National Academy of Medicine for his major contributions to our understanding of the causes of medical injury, tort litigation, and firearm violence.
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NEJM Interview: David Studdert on the US Malpractice System

Stephen Morrissey, PhD, the executive managing editor of the The New England Journal of Medicine, interviews SHP's David Studdert, LLB, ScD, MPH, a professor of health policy and of law, about the impact of the U.S. malpractice system on medical decision-making.

JAMA Podcast with Michelle Mello

SHP's Michelle Mello, JD, PhD, joins JAMA+ AI Editor in Chief Roy Perlis to discuss her recently published JAMA Perspective that lays out a framework for when and how health care organizations should disclose AI use to patients. Mello shares insights on the importance of patient trust and surveys that suggest many patients currently mistrust the use of AI in their care.

The Future of Law & Ethics in Biotech

Stanford Health Policy Associate Hank Greely, JD, a professor of law and expert in bioethics, offers insights into the ethical, legal, and social implications of groundbreaking biomedical technologies. 

The Future of Law & Ethics in Biotech

The Hard Road Ahead for Public Health Departments

Public health officials—already on the defensive due to the backlash against COVID-19 pandemic orders—are now facing a lack of support from the federal government, leaving them alone on the front lines to promote health while battling disease.
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Ramifications of the Supreme Court’s Latest Term for Health Regulation

The Supreme Court ended its 2024 term with major rulings affecting federal agencies. SHP’s Michelle Mello writes in a JAMA viewpoint that while these rulings have critical ramifications for health agencies, the outlook is more complex than it might appear.
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