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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Matthew K. Wynia, MD, MPH, Institute for Ethics, American Medical Association, 515 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60610, (312) 464-4980, matthew_wynia@ama-assn.org
In recent years, much thought has gone into the production of a Code of Ethics for public health practice. This Code has many virtues and was recently adopted by APHA. Perhaps one of its most interesting, and certainly novel, features is that the new Code of Ethics for Public Health is oriented towards organizations rather than individuals. Unlike classic Codes of Ethics, for example as are seen in medicine and law, the new Public Health Code of Ethics does not provide explicit guidance for individual public health practitioners caught in morally difficult situations. If such guidance would be worthwhile, then one solution might be to create a set of individual obligations that are modeled on the organizational obligations enumerated in the new Code. What might be the benefits of creating such a set of explicit ethical obligations for individual public health practitioners? What are the potential pitfalls? Where are individual and organizational responsibilities different? And finally, in short, should all (or most) public health practitioners swear an oath of allegiance to such a set of ethical principles?
In this discussion, we will review the uses of codes of ethics and oaths in the medical profession to raise and in part to address some of the questions raised by the new Code of Ethics for Public Health.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
Keywords: Ethics,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.