Code of ethics for emergency providers

[fiznat]

In the November 2008 issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, there was an article entitled "Code of Ethics for Emergency Physicians." The article was written based on the premise that, in addition to the oaths taken by all physicians, emergency physicians accept "specific ethical obligations that arise out of the special features of emergency medical practice." I thought this concept was interesting, and that perhaps we can look at these obligations and see how they might apply to our practice as prehospital providers.

Here they are:

1.Embrace patient welfare as their primary professional responsibility.

2.Respond promptly and expertly, without prejudice or partiality, to the need for emergency medical care.

3.Respect the rights and strive to protect the best interests of their patients, particularly the most vulnerable and those unable to make treatment choices due to diminished decisionmaking capacity.

4.Communicate truthfully with patients and secure their informed consent for treatment, unless the urgency of the patient's condition demands an immediate response.

5.Respect patient privacy and disclose confidential information only with consent of the patient or when required by an overriding duty such as the duty to protect others or to obey the law.

6.Deal fairly and honestly with colleagues and take appropriate action to protect patients from health care providers who are impaired or incompetent, or who engage in fraud or deception.

7.Work cooperatively with others who care for, and about, emergency patients.

8.Engage in continuing study to maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high quality care for emergency patients.

9.Act as responsible stewards of the health care resources entrusted to them.

10.Support societal efforts to improve public health and safety, reduce the effects of injury and illness, and secure access to emergency and other basic health care for all.

As EMS providers, which of these do you think we excel at, and where do we need work? Do they all apply to us as equally as they do to physicians?

The original article: http://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0...1577-1/fulltext

Edited April 12, 2009 by fiznat