Top ethical challenges for physicians

Eighty-five percent of physicians think it is never acceptable to cover up or avoid revealing a mistake if that mistake would cause harm to the patient. This is just one of the findings from Medscape’s 2018 Ethics Report, in which 5,200 physicians were asked ethical questions related to patients, romance, and money. When it comes to performing a procedure that could be medically unwarranted, 11% of physicians said they would do it out of fear of being sued by the patient for malpractice. Although many physicians do not like participating in peer review because they do not want to ruin the careers of their colleagues, 55% said they would tell a patient about another physician’s substandard practice if that physician was going to perform a procedure on the patient. 

“Yes, if I had hard data to support my opinion,” said one respondent. “I would certainly let them know if I felt strongly that they might consider another opinion or provider.”

Eleven percent of respondents said no. “Politically, it’s not possible and I would risk my own employment,” commented one anesthesiologist. 

Source: Medscape