A Concord in Medical Ethics

Editorials1 August 1983A Concord in Medical EthicsALBERT R. JONSEN, PH.D.ALBERT R. JONSEN, PH.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-99-2-261 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Excerpt"Ethics used to be a simple matter," said the venerable physician, recently retired. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about it now." He was thinking of the days when the only ethical imperative was "do no harm"; when the ethical physician need only be competent, kind, reliable, and, when the occasion required, self-sacrificing; when the only ethical controversy concerned accepting a fee for referral. Today, the physician is well aware that the term ethics raises so many anxious, confusing questions. What of the competent physicians who, determining in their best clinical judgment that their comatose patient is beyond hope...References1. . Defining Death. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1982. Google Scholar2. . Making Health Care Decisions. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1982. Google Scholar3. . Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1983. Google Scholar4. Guidelines for the determination of death: report of the Medical Consultants on the Diagnosis of Death to the President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. JAMA. 1981;246:2184-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, California PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByHuman Subjects Research, Ethics, Principles Governing Research with Human SubjectsBook reviewsDying with Dignity: A United States ViewPatient understanding of implications of medical choicesEthical Issues in a Drug Information CenterBehind Closed DoorsConsultation-liaison psychiatry and clinical ethics: A model for consultation and teachingNutritional therapy in advanced cancerSpontaneous recovery from cardiogenic shock and renal failureBrain-DeathAmerican College of Physicians Ethics Manual Part II: Research, Other Ethical Issues. Recommended Reading.Public Involvement in Medical Ethics 1 August 1983Volume 99, Issue 2Page: 261-264KeywordsComaMedical ethics Issue Published: 1 August 1983 PDF DownloadLoading ...