Law & Ethics for Medical Careers

Many professions have a code of ethics that guide individual practitioners' behavior. In the medical profession, these ethics are particularly important, as medical professionals are responsible for the health and recovery of their patients. The following sections will give you an overview of medical ethical principles and what role they play in the medical profession.

History

• The first medical ethics codes for medical practitioners were established by the American Medical Association in 1847, the same year the association was founded. The AMA was the first national professional medical association established in the world.

Significance

• According to the AMA's website, the ethics principles created by the AMA are intended to create uniform standards of conduct, education and training for medical professionals.

Changes

• The most recent change to the AMA's medical principles occurred in 2001, during an annual meeting held in Chicago. There have only been four changes to the AMA's medical principles since their creation: in 1903, 1957, 1980 and 2001.

Features

• The 2001 list of principles included two articles that were not in the 1980 list of principles. The first new article, principle VIII, states that a physician will consider his responsibility to a patient of paramount importance while he is in charge of the patient. The second new article, principle IX, states that physicians will support access to health care for all people.

Medical Laws

• Medical malpractice laws address medical situations in which a doctor has been accused of acting in violation of the ethical principles that guide the medical profession. Common malpractice suits address situations in which a doctor is accused of acting in a negligent manner, such as failing to provide proper treatment or failing to properly diagnose a patient.