Faculty Collaboration Database

Ethics and the law in emergency medicine. Emerg Med Clin North Am 2006 Aug;24(3):547-55

Date

08/01/2006

Pubmed ID

16877129

DOI

10.1016/j.emc.2006.05.004

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-33746295319 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   9 Citations

Abstract

When ethical issues arise in emergency medical practice, many emergency physicians turn to the law for answers. Although knowing when and how the law applies to emergency medicine is important, the law is only one factor to consider among many factors. Additionally, the law may not be applicable or may not be clear, or the ethical considerations may seem to conflict with legal aspects of emergency medical treatment. Situations where ethics and the law may seem to be in conflict in emergency medicine are described and analyzed in this article, and recommendations are offered. In general, when facing ethical dilemmas in emergency medical practice, the emergency physician should take into account the ethical considerations before turning to the legal considerations.

Author List

Derse AR

Author

Arthur R. Derse MD, JD Director, Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Bioethical Issues
Emergency Medicine
Humans
Medical Futility
Palliative Care
Physician-Patient Relations
Suicide, Assisted
Treatment Refusal
United States