Health care professionals have a responsibility to educate patients about public screening programs and ensure that subsequent follow-up is done after the screening is completed.
Several recent court cases illustrate how some states are attempting to mandate physician reporting of all underage sexual activity as instances of child abuse.
A historical review shows how medicine's focus has changed from the time of Hippocratic physicians to present-day medicine to focus on the patient as an individual.
The Declaration of Professional Responsibility was created by the AMA in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks and is supported by many medical and specialty societies.
Physicians have an obligation to report parents to the local Child Protective Services if they suspect that the parents are using corporal punishment as a form of discipline.