This lecture starts from Shetty's paper Medical Ethics and Law (Indian Journal of Orthopaedics, 2023) and stresses the importance of ongoing training in medical ethics. It is especially aimed at professors and academic councils in universities and hospitals.
In short: knowing the rules is not enough to guarantee ethical conduct. All health staff and institutions must abide by law and ethics, and understand how their responsibilities evolve.
Main conclusions
- Educating patients about their legal rights is just as important.
- Professionals must recognise the legal and ethical problems that arise in clinical practice.
- The legal community must recognise that treating a patient in an emergency is not an exact science.
Dr. Cortés Torres's comment
He recalls Sir William Osler: "Listen to your patient... The patient will give you the diagnosis."