Opinion ID: 1495900
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Identification of Relevant Field of Experts.

Text: Dr. McDonagh argued, and the AHC appeared to determine, that the relevant field for purposes of this inquiry is the universe of medical practitioners who utilize chelation therapy. And, as the record shows that Dr. McDonagh followed the protocol for use of chelation therapy approved by the approximately 1,000 doctors who are organized into ACAM, it concluded that his experts' testimony as to whether his treatments were appropriate was admissible. But, to limit the relevant field to only those doctors who have already expressed their view that the therapy in question is appropriate would make the inquiry into acceptance by experts in the field pointless, for, by definition, only those who had accepted the therapy would be asked for their opinion. The relevant field must be determined not by the approach a particular doctor chooses to take, but by the standards in the field in which the doctor has chosen to practice. As relevant here, Dr. McDonagh chose to treat patients with vascular disease. The Board's claim is that Dr. McDonagh engaged in repeated negligence or misrepresentation and was otherwise in violation of the relevant statutes in his provision of chelation therapy for these patients. Therefore, the relevant field is doctors treating persons with vascular disease. The facts or data on which Dr. McDonagh's experts rely, therefore, must be those perceived by them at trial or must be of a type reasonably relied on by doctors treating vascular disease. [13] By so stating, this Court is not in effect readopting the Frye standard under another name. Nothing in section 490.065 suggests that the conclusions reached in reliance on these facts and data must be in conformity with the general medical consensus or must be generally accepted. As under Daubert and cases applying it, such acceptance is but one factor of the relevant inquiry. Section 490.065.3 simply requires the court to consider whether the facts and data used by the expert are of a type reasonably relied on by experts in that field or if the methodology is otherwise reasonably reliable. If not, then the testimony does not meet the statutory standard and is inadmissible.