Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Ethics and Professionalism
Lecture:Contemporary topics in medical ethics
Slide content:Primary and Secondary Interests in Medical Practice Primary Secondary The welfare of patients Financial gain The integrity of medical research Desire for professional advancement The quality of medical education Recognition for personal achievement Favors to friends and family or to students and colleagues 8.9 Table: Primary and secondary interests in medical practice ( CC BY-NC-SA , 2012). 14
Slide notes:Primary interests include such ideals as ethical obligations and professional duties. Secondary interests are an individual health care professionals personal motivations. Its not wrong for a physician to make a fair profit or to want respect from peers. A problem arises only when these personal goals have the potential to compromise decision-making about a primary interest, such as the best possible patient care. An example of a potential conflict of interest is the practice of pharmaceutical companies giving gifts to physicians. Some researchers argue that even small gifts, such as pens and coffee mugs, can influence physicians to prescribe the companys drugs more often. 14