An ethical case that was eventually decided in the US Supreme Court involves the right of patients to request an independent third-party review if their HMO refuses to authorize treatments or procedures deemed medically necessary.
Academic and community physicians must do more to limit unreasonable work shift lengths in medical education and training in order to protect the health and safety of patients and doctors.
Readers are referred to an article in a 1999 issue of JAMA to discuss whether medical professionalism should be explicitly taught in medical schools and residency programs.