Introduction General Principles of Ethics Capacity and Informed Consent Managed Care Potential Industry Influences Relationships with the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries   Ethical Issues for Professional Societies and Organizations Conclusion References Editorial Board Contact Us Sign Up Archives

 Ethics and Rheumatology 

Preethi Dendi, MD, Shrey Desai, MD, Fred M. Jacobs, MD, JD, Gregory J. Rokosz, DO, JD, Jeanine H. Bulan, MD, and Richard S. Panush, MD  
Department of Medicine
Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Livingston, NJ

Arthur Kavanaugh, MD
Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA

Paul L. Romain, MD
Department of Rheumatology
Cambridge Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Cambridge, MA   

• The primary bioethical principles that should guide physicians are: patient autonomy (informed consent), distributive justice (fair distribution of resources), nonmaleficence (do no harm), and beneficence (kindness toward patients).

• Gifts are used widely by industry to influence physicians.

• The ultimate responsibility of industry is for profit, and the ultimate responsibility of the physician is the welfare of the patient.

Introduction

Ethics are at the core of our profession (1,2,3,4). It is important that physicians be familiar with ethical principles generally and with issues specifically relating to capacity, informed consent, clinical trials, industry marketing and gift giving practices, and behavior of professional societies and organizations (3).