The social institutions of medicine and the state have a complex history of interaction in which doctors have been the originators of political ideals, goals, and social change but equally often have found themselves to be instruments of political authority.
Guddi Singh, MB BChir, MPH, John Owens, MA, PhD, and Alan Cribb, PhD
Co-creation initiatives in health care have potential to support health equity but require a redistribution of power and a common vision in order to succeed.
AMA J Ethics. 2017;19(11):1132-1138. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.11.msoc1-1711.
Differentiating between best palliative care options and the curative and palliative potential of surgery is key to developing dual intentional clarity.
AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(10):E766-771. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2021.766.
A physician has an obligation to order necessary diagnostic tests for a patient on Medicaid with whom he or she has an established patient-physician relationship regardless of whether the cost of the necessary test will be reimbursed.
Melissa Weddle, MD, MPH and Patricia K. Kokotailo, MD, MPH
Physicians should honor confidentiality whenever possible when screening and treating adolescents for sensitive health conditions such as substance abuse.