What practical relevance does a study of medical ethics have for the practicing physician?
GH: Everything that we do has ethical implications. That does not mean, however, that all physicians know how to think ethically. Probably 90-95 percent of the “ethical issues” with which a physician is presented he or she can solve them out of his own intuitive ethical nature. There s that five or ten percent that is a little more thorny that need help from the discipline of medical ethics. When an ethical dilemma occurs, it s not so much a question of, “shall I do the right thing or the wrong thing,” it s, “which good that I m trying to achieve is the better good?” PND: What can a physician do to handle an ethical problem? GH: In most instances he would either ask advice of a medical ethicist or from the institutional ethics committee at his hospital or medical center. Either the physician, or a nurse involved, or a patient or anybody involved in the case could ask for a consultation with the committee. Typically, there is some disagreement about the care being provided. Many times i
