Clinicians must avoid violating professional ethical principles and patients’ legal rights and they may not ever discriminate. So, what does that mean in practice?
AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(3):229-236. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.3.ecas4-1603.
Clinicians with obligations to patients and to organizations often assess patients in law enforcement for both therapeutic and nontherapeutic purposes.
AMA J Ethics. 2022;24(2):E111-119. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.111.
COVID-19 underscores historical precedent for fear-driven responses that disregard autonomy among persons with low income who are also persons of color.
AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(11):E840-846. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2021.840.
Grace Kim, Uriel Sanchez Molina, and Altaf Saadi, MD, MSHPM
Undocumented patients can be subject to discrimination, reporting, detention, or deportation in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, so what goes in the record is critical.
AMA J Ethics. 2019;21(1):E8-16. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2019.8.
Being undocumented is a risk factor for mental illness, and immigration status relates prominently to overall health. That’s enough to consider it protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule.
AMA J Ethics. 2019;21(1):E32-37. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2019.32.