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:Conscience, Ethics, and Law Laws protect patients rights to access to medical interventions Laws protect medical professionals rights to refuse to provide certain medical interventions Laws vary from state to state 20
Slide notes:Laws address the clash between the conscientious objections of health care professionals and the respect for patient autonomy. These laws vary widely among states. For example, some states have laws that protect the right of physicians and pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception. Other states require these professionals to provide women with such drugs. Given the strong competing individual rights of health care professionals and patients, issues of conscientious objection are likely to be the topic of passionate debate for the foreseeable future. 20