Ethical practice under fire: deployed physicians in the global war on terrorism. Mil Med 2009 May;174(5):441-7
Date
05/01/2009Pubmed ID
20731272DOI
10.7205/milmed-d-01-5208Scopus ID
2-s2.0-77949406372 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 13 CitationsAbstract
The Global War on Terrorism brings significant ethical challenges for military physicians. From Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo Bay, the actions of health care providers have come under considerable scrutiny. Military providers have dual roles as military officers and medical professionals, which have the potential to come into conflict. Often they are inadequately prepared to manage this conflict. We review pertinent historical precedents, applicable laws, ethical guidelines, and military regulations. We also present examples of ethical challenges deployed clinicians have faced and their ethical solution. Finally, we propose a practical strategy to educate physicians on how to manage complex ethical dilemmas in war time settings.
Author List
Sessums LL, Collen JF, O'Malley PG, Jackson JL, Roy MJAuthor
Jeffrey L. Jackson MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Ethics, MedicalHumans
Military Medicine
Military Personnel
Physician's Role
Physicians
Terrorism
Torture
United States
Warfare