Medical Ethics

The Ethics of Lying - 06/02/2016

Medical ethics statements on lying are ambiguous. An American Medical Association policy on the patient-physician relationship states, "The relationship between patient and physician is based on trust and gives rise to physicians' ethical obligations to place patients' welfare above their own self-interest and above obligations to other groups, and to advocate for their patients' welfare." The statement doesn't address lies specifically. Logically, trust cannot exist if the patient discovers a lie.

A Cry for Help - 05/13/2016

Malingering presents an ethical dilemma for emergency physicians. A busy emergency department (ED) late at night is not pleasant. Thus, most malingerers go to the ED as a last resort. They must really be struggling if seeking shelter in the hospital or using an ambulance as a taxi are the only recourses. It's difficult to feel compassion because malingerers may delay care of other patients who genuinely need it, and hospitals, government programs, and taxpayers incur unnecessary costs.