WMA Medical Ethics Day
The World Medical Association’s (WMA) annual Medical Ethics Day is a way for the global medical community to recognise and promote the important role of ethics in medicine. To help inform GPs on a range of ethical issues, the AMA has a Code of Ethics and a number of Position Statements and Guidelines available.
AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, said that patients expect high ethical standards from their doctors and that ethics is an integral part of everyday medicine, fundamental to the relationship that doctors have with patients. He added that doctors must act in a way that ensures patients have all the information to make their own decisions with confidentiality and respect. The medical professional must uphold a set of core values that places patients first.
The AMA is currently reviewing and updating its AMA Code of Ethics to guide doctors in their relationships with patients, colleagues, and society.
The AMA has developed a diverse range of ethics-focussed Position Statements, covering issues such as medical professionalism; professional conduct; patient care and safety; conscientious objection; reproductive health; end of life care; genetic issues; organ donation; public health emergencies; asylum seekers and refugees; aged care; custodial settings; and stewardship. The AMA also has a range of ethics and medico-legal Guidelines on issues including disclosure of medical records assessments, medical witnesses, and patient follow-up.
The Position Statements and Guidelines are available here.
