Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Ethics and Professionalism
Lecture:Ethical and legal standards
Slide content:AMA Opinion Ethical values and legal principles are closely related Ethical obligations typically exceed legal duties Sometimes the law mandates unethical conduct Generally, physicians should obey current laws and work to change unjust laws In rare cases, ethical responsibilities should take priority over unjust laws Even if a legal proceeding finds a physician to be innocent, he or she may have acted unethically 5
Slide notes:The American Medical Association has made a very clear statement about the relationship between ethics and law. It says: [quote] Ethical values and legal principles are usually closely related, but ethical obligations typically exceed legal duties. In some cases, the law mandates unethical conduct. In general, when physicians believe a law is unjust, they should work to change the law. In exceptional circumstances of unjust laws, ethical responsibilities should supersede legal obligations. The fact that a physician charged with allegedly illegal conduct is acquitted or exonerated in civil or criminal proceedings does not necessarily mean that the physician acted ethically. [end quote] 5