ReviewANZ journal of surgery2025
What Makes a Surgical Expert Witness?
Review in ANZ journal of surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- What Makes a Surgical Expert Witness?ANZ journal of surgery · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSurgical expert witnesses play a crucial role in providing informed and objective opinions on surgical procedures, standards of care and patient outcomes. However, clear criteria outlining the qualifications and level of expertise required to be considered an expert witness are lacking.
objectiveTo provide a guideline for the essential and desired qualifications required of a surgeon to serve as an expert witness.
methodsThe PubMed database was searched to identify existing guidelines relating to the roles and qualifications of expert witnesses. Published statements from national and international surgical colleges were also reviewed. SUMMARY OF GUIDELINES: Five published specialty college guidelines provided insight into the role of expert witnesses. Existing literature comparing the qualifications of surgeons testifying for defendants and plaintiffs was also analysed to identify the recommended criteria for serving as a surgical expert witness.
conclusionsSurgical expert witnesses must meet stringent standards to provide objective and impartial expert opinions. The fundamental qualifications for surgical expert witnesses are: unconditional registration, good standing with their respective college, active participation in a CPD program and compliance with codes of conduct and ethical standards. Experts should also have at least 5-10 years of clinical experience and be in active clinical practice (or within 3 years of leaving) in the relevant specialty field. Academic involvement and high scholarly impact are desirable to further enhance credibility. These recommendations ensure expert testimonies uphold professional standards to support fair and informed legal outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.