The author believes the AMA's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs should collaborate with academic physicians to create clear professional standards for the field of medicine.
The threat of bioterrorism in the form of aerosolized smallpox is real, and policy is needed to clarify the risk of disease to the public and recommendations on vaccination.
Physicians can help choose technological tools to enhance end-of-life care if they carefully and specifically tailor the tools to the comfort levels and needs of each patient.
Media stories about individual cases of human suffering encourage society to bring health care to geographically remote areas by investing in telemedicine technologies.