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William Osler’s Medical Ethics in the 21st Century
L Golden, Richard
L Golden, Richard
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"The ineluctable allure and wisdom of Sir William Osler, which now spans three centuries, is elegantly put to the test by Mark Millard in determining its applicability to the medical ethics of the 21st century. While there is little doubt that our current technical knowledge and capabilities will be regarded as primitive by the end of the century, if not well before its midpoint, how will our current ethical standards be viewed? Are the teachings of William Osler, the preeminent physician of his time, applicable to modern ethical dilemmas? The author raises the issues of treatment of irreversible illness; medical error and patient awareness; disagreement among consultants; and third-party payers limiting access, continuity of care, or denial of service. He further cites a survey of physicians that selected as major problems those of the incompetent or impaired colleague; confession of medical error; physicianpatient confidentiality in couples when one partner is HIV positive; the prolongation of futile care in a terminal patient; denial of care to those who cannot pay; whether to honour a family’s request not to tell a patient that he/she has a terminal disease; exaggerating a patient’s condition to obtain insurance coverage; and writing prescriptions for friends or family members."(pg 62)
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2012-01
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With permission of the license/copyright holder