Medical Ethics

Excerpt

Determining the ethical nature of an individual's actions within a specific society is primarily contingent on the prevailing standards of morality at the broadest level of that society. Consequently, the most appropriate action when making an ethical decision is to consider the overarching and enduring principles that influence society the most. Three significant physician associations in the United States and Canada have issued medical ethics guidelines applicable to various medical specialties:

1. The American Medical Association (American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. AMA Code of Medical Ethics. American Medical Association; 2017)

2. The American Osteopathic Association (American Osteopathic Association; 2016. https://osteopathic.org/about/leadership/aoa-governance-documents/code-of-ethics/. Accessed November 4, 2023)

3. The American College of Physicians.[1]

The American Medical Association (AMA) code, established in 1847 and officially published 1 year later, marked the world's inaugural medical code of ethics designed to be universally applicable to all physicians nationally.[1] The contemporary version of the AMA code delineates a hierarchical framework for the appropriateness of actions and the levels of obligation, employing terms such as "must," "should," and "may" (American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. AMA Code of Medical Ethics. American Medical Association; 2017).

Based on their respective fields, not all healthcare professionals must uphold the policies in the AMA code, and the existing ethics codes fail to encompass all situations routinely encountered by clinicians. Due to the absence of globally definitive ethical standards and algorithms, healthcare professionals often confront uncertainty when grappling with ethical dilemmas involving themselves, their patients, and other stakeholders. A pressing need exists for comprehensive resources to assist all clinicians in discerning the most ethical courses of action.