A residency program risks losing its accreditation status for violations to resident work hour regulations when the new policies are not clearly communicated to attending staff by department authority figures.
Medical students must accept responsibility for upholding their own individual code of professionalism based on universal standards of ethical behavior.
A residency program risks losing its accreditation status for violations to resident work hour regulations when the new policies are not clearly communicated to attending staff by department authority figures.
Physicians must maintain strong communication lines and document discussions with patient surrogates to avoid confusion regarding end-of-life care and decisions for patients with irreversible brain damage.
Physicians need to help surrogate decision makers to make treatment and end-of-life decisions for those with severe neurological damage by proving a realistic prognosis and maintain strong lines of communication.
Residents and attending physicians have an ethical responsibility to speak up if there is a concern that a colleague lacks clinical skills and is providing inadequate patient care.
The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act proposes state legislation that should be enacted to ensure an adequate and coordinated response to public health emergencies.