Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2006
Confidentiality, 'no blame culture' and whistleblowing, non-physician practice and accountability.
Confidentiality is a core tenet of medical professionalism, which enables the maintenance of trust in a doctor-patient relationship. However, both the amount of personal data stored and the number of third parties who might access this data have increased dramatically in the digital age, necessitating the introduction of various national data protection acts. ⋯ This article explores the evolution of the law and ethics in this area, and draws attention to the difficulties in balancing confidentiality against freedom of information. In addition, the role and responsibilities of the non-physician anaesthetist are examined.
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Frequently, ethical dilemmas for clinicians in ICU focus on the conflict between the sanctity of life principle and other important ethical principles, such as patient autonomy or quality of life. Therefore, this chapter seeks to reveal the ethical tension between the sanctity of life and other competing ethical obligations, clearly outlining how the law in reality is making decisions and what a clinician's duties are in end of life issues.