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Academy News: November 2003
Update on the Principles of Medical
Ethics
By Mitchell H. Grayson, MD, FAAAAI, AAAAI Ethics Committee member
Since the original publication of the
American Medical Association’s Principles of Medical Ethics, the AMA House
of Delegates has updated this important document. Several changes were
made to existing principles and two new principles were added. These new
principles were added to stress the importance of the physician’s
responsibility to treating the patient, continued medical education, and
to clearly state, “physicians are dedicated to providing care to all and
therefore support access to care for all.”(1) While these principles
stress the need for healthcare access for all, they do not support any
specific type of healthcare system and should not be construed to do so,
according to Herbert Rakatansky, MD, the former chair of the AMA Council
on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.(2) The updated principles are given
below, with changes marked in italics.
American Medical Association:
Principles of Medical Ethics
Preamble:
The medical profession has long subscribed to a body of ethical
statements developed primarily for the benefit of the patient. As a member
of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to
patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health
professionals, and to self. The following Principles adopted by the
American Medical Association are not laws, but standards of conduct, which
define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physician.
- A physician shall be dedicated to
providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human
dignity and rights.
- A physician shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest
in all professional interactions, and strive to report physicians
deficient in character or competence, or engaging in fraud or deception,
to appropriate entities.
- A physician shall respect the law and also recognize a
responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary
to the best interests of the patient.
- A physician shall respect the rights of patients, colleagues, and
other health professionals, and shall safeguard patient confidences and
privacy within the constraints of the law.
- A physician shall continue to study, apply, and advance scientific
knowledge, maintain a commitment to medical education, make relevant
information available to patients, colleagues, and the public, obtain
consultation, and use the talents of other health professionals when
indicated.
- A physician shall, in the provision of appropriate patient care,
except in emergencies, be free to choose whom to serve, with whom to
associate, and the environment in which to provide medical care.
- A physician shall recognize a responsibility to participate in
activities contributing to an improvement of the community and the
betterment of public health.
- A physician shall, while caring for a patient, regard
responsibility to the patient as paramount.
- A physician shall support access to
medical care for all people. Code of Medical Ethics: Current Opinions
with Annotations. American Medical Association. Council on Ethical
and Judicial Affairs. 2002. p. xiv.
References
1. American Medical News. Nov. 20, 2000. Accessed online on 06/23/03
at
http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/amn_00/edsa1120.htm
2. Albert T. American Medical News. Jan.
1/8, 2001. Accessed online on 06/23/03 at
http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/pick_01/prsa0101.htm
The Ethics Committee provides these
discussions as a way to open a dialogue on the various ethical issues that
confront our specialty on a daily basis. These issues are often quite
complex and do not have simple “right” or “wrong” solutions. The articles
are meant as a way to highlight the various issues that are involved in
these ethical dilemmas, they should not be viewed as the Ethics Committee
or the AAAAI’s particular stance on an issue.
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