Previously doctors decided what was right or wrong in medicine, today our individual freedom is more limited. External influences including the human rights act, government initiatives, management protocols, professional guidelines, multi-disciplinary decision-making and financial restrictions intervene between the doctor and the patient. Furthermore the move away from paternalism in the doctor–patient relationship to patient empowerment (informed consent) has put patients in charge of their medical destiny. Increased public expectations leading to health screening, genetic profiling and treatment of unwanted physiological changes mean that doctors now manage healthy patients for ‘potential’ or ‘virtual’ disease. This implies a greater ethical burden than treatment of the sick. Finally, death is no longer regarded by many as a physiological process, but a consequence of disease. The investigation and management of patients with incurable conditions can lead to difficult ethical dilemmas. Gastroenterology and endoscopy generate specific ethical problems which among others include training in endoscopy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement, informed consent and live endoscopy demonstrations. This article addresses some of these issues in order to draw attention to potential difficulties in modern ethical practice. It should be read in conjunction with the other publications stemming from the 1st Symposium on Ethics in Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Kos, June 2002.

This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.