Physician organizations have an ethical obligation to advocate for general improvement of public health, even if it is sometimes at the expense of interests of medical professionals.
Mark McClellan, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, discusses pharmaceutical company research and the problems faced by funding for public health programs.
Defense of the position that patient-psychiatrist confidentiality should be absolute, otherwise patient trust is eroded is serious ways that affect the ability of all physicians to help their patients.
Defense of the argument that psychiatrists have a responsibility to warn the proper authorities if there is reasonable concern that a patient poses a threat to the safety of others.
The trend toward casual address and dress in the medical profession could reinforce the power differential that already exists between patient and physician and adversely affect the patient-physician relationship.
The morbidity and mortality conference serves an important educational role for physicians and underscores the importance of error disclosure in improving patient safety.