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November 27, 1991, Vol 266, No. 20 >
ARTICLE | November 27, 1991

The Duty to 'Attend Upon the Sick' FREE

Oscar W. Clarke, MD; Robert B. Conley, MD, JD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Office of General Counsel, American Medical Association, 515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610 (Dr Conley).


JAMA. 1991;266(20):2876-2877. doi:10.1001/jama.1991.03470200088041
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References

The American Medical Association's (AMA) Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs has stated, "[A] physician may not ethically refuse to treat a patient whose condition is within the physician's current realm of competence solely because the patient is seropositive [for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)]."2 This position articulates the medical profession's long-established tradition of treating those in need without regard to the risks that treatment may present to the physician. The statement is also grounded in the fact that while the AMA'S Principles of Medical Ethics recognize that physicians have freedom to choose whom to serve, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs has never interpreted this principle to endorse "illegal or invidious discrimination. "2 Any discrimination that emanates from members of the medical profession is particularly objectionable because of medicine's professed commitment to moral ideals. Indeed, that physicians regard themselves as professionals testifies to their pursuit of ethical objectives.

REFERENCES

1 +
Boghurst W. Quoted by: Zuger A, Miles SH.  Physicians, AIDS, and occupational risk: historic traditions and ethical obligations. JAMA . 1987;;258:1924-1928.
2 +
Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.  Ethical issues involved in the growing AIDS crisis. JAMA . 1988;;259:1360-1361.
3 +
Emanuel EJ.  Do physicians have an obligation to treat patients with AIDS? N Engl J Med . 1988;;318:1686-1690.
4 +
Gerbert B, Maguire BT, Bleecker T, Coates TJ, McPhee SJ.  Primary care physicians and AIDS: attitudinal and structural barriers to care. JAMA . 1991;;266:2837-2842.
5 +
Ness RB, Kelly JV, Killian CD.  House staff recruitment to municipal and voluntary New York City residency programs during the AIDS epidemic. JAMA . 1991;;266:2843-2846.
6 +
Kelly JA, St Lawrence JS, Smith S Jr, Hood HV, Cook DJ.  Stigmatization of AIDS patients by physicians. Am J Public Health . 1987;;77:789-791.
7 +
Douglas CJ, Kalman CM, Kalman TP.  Homophobia among physicians and nurses: an empirical study. Hosp Community Psychiatry . 1985;;36:1309-1311.
8 +
Hayward PA, Shapiro MF.  A national study of AIDS and residency training: experiences, concerns, and consequences. Ann Intern Med . 1991;;114:23-32.
9 +
Currey CJ, Johnson M, Ogden B.  Willingness of health-professions students to treat patients with AIDS. Acad Med . 1990;;65:472-474.
10 +
Royse D, Birge B.  Homophobia and attitudes towards AIDS patients among medical, nursing, and paramedical students. Psychol Rep . 1987;;61:867-870.
11 +
Kelly JA, St Lawrence JS, Smith S Jr, Hood HV, Cook DJ.  Medical students' attitudes toward AIDS and homosexual patients. J Med Educ . 1987;;62:549-556.
12 +
Thomas RI.  Medical students' views of how the HIV-AIDS epidemic affects their education and choice of training programs. Acad Med . 1990;;65:482.
13 +
Bernstein CA, Rabkin JG, Wolland H.  Medical and dental students' attitudes about the AIDS epidemic. Acad Med . 1990;;65:458-460.
14 +
Cooke M, Sande MA.  The HIV epidemic and training in internal medicine: challenges and recommendations. N Engl J Med . 1989;;321:1334-1338.
15 +
Arnow PM, Pottenger LA, Stocking CB, Siegler M, DeLeeuw HW.  Orthopedic surgeons' attitudes and practices concerning treatment of patients with HIV infection. Public Health Rep . 1989;;104:121-129.
16 +
Link RN, Feingold AR, Charap MH, Freeman K, Shelov SP.  Concerns of medical and pediatric house officers about acquiring AIDS from their patients. Am J Public Health . 1988;;78:455-459.
17 +
Rizzo JA, Marder WD, Willke RJ.  Physician contact with and attitudes toward HIV-seropositive patients. Med Care . 1990;;28:251-260.
18 +
Gerberding JL, Littell C, Tarkington A, Brown A, Schecter WP.  Risk of exposure of surgical personnel to patients' blood during surgery at San Francisco General Hospital. N Engl J Med . 1990;;322:1788-1793.
19 +
Panlilio AL, Foy DR, Edwards JR, et al.  Blood contacts during surgical procedures. JAMA . 1991;;265:1533-1537.
20 +
Guidebook for Medical Society Grievance Committees and Disciplinary Committees . Chicago, Ill: American Medical Association; 1991;.
21 +
Haw Rev Stat §453-8(a)(9) (1988).
22 +
Ohio Rev Code Ann §4731.22(B)(18)(a) (Baldwin 1991).

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Boghurst W. Quoted by: Zuger A, Miles SH.  Physicians, AIDS, and occupational risk: historic traditions and ethical obligations. JAMA . 1987;;258:1924-1928.
2 +
Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.  Ethical issues involved in the growing AIDS crisis. JAMA . 1988;;259:1360-1361.
3 +
Emanuel EJ.  Do physicians have an obligation to treat patients with AIDS? N Engl J Med . 1988;;318:1686-1690.
4 +
Gerbert B, Maguire BT, Bleecker T, Coates TJ, McPhee SJ.  Primary care physicians and AIDS: attitudinal and structural barriers to care. JAMA . 1991;;266:2837-2842.
5 +
Ness RB, Kelly JV, Killian CD.  House staff recruitment to municipal and voluntary New York City residency programs during the AIDS epidemic. JAMA . 1991;;266:2843-2846.
6 +
Kelly JA, St Lawrence JS, Smith S Jr, Hood HV, Cook DJ.  Stigmatization of AIDS patients by physicians. Am J Public Health . 1987;;77:789-791.
7 +
Douglas CJ, Kalman CM, Kalman TP.  Homophobia among physicians and nurses: an empirical study. Hosp Community Psychiatry . 1985;;36:1309-1311.
8 +
Hayward PA, Shapiro MF.  A national study of AIDS and residency training: experiences, concerns, and consequences. Ann Intern Med . 1991;;114:23-32.
9 +
Currey CJ, Johnson M, Ogden B.  Willingness of health-professions students to treat patients with AIDS. Acad Med . 1990;;65:472-474.
10 +
Royse D, Birge B.  Homophobia and attitudes towards AIDS patients among medical, nursing, and paramedical students. Psychol Rep . 1987;;61:867-870.
11 +
Kelly JA, St Lawrence JS, Smith S Jr, Hood HV, Cook DJ.  Medical students' attitudes toward AIDS and homosexual patients. J Med Educ . 1987;;62:549-556.
12 +
Thomas RI.  Medical students' views of how the HIV-AIDS epidemic affects their education and choice of training programs. Acad Med . 1990;;65:482.
13 +
Bernstein CA, Rabkin JG, Wolland H.  Medical and dental students' attitudes about the AIDS epidemic. Acad Med . 1990;;65:458-460.
14 +
Cooke M, Sande MA.  The HIV epidemic and training in internal medicine: challenges and recommendations. N Engl J Med . 1989;;321:1334-1338.
15 +
Arnow PM, Pottenger LA, Stocking CB, Siegler M, DeLeeuw HW.  Orthopedic surgeons' attitudes and practices concerning treatment of patients with HIV infection. Public Health Rep . 1989;;104:121-129.
16 +
Link RN, Feingold AR, Charap MH, Freeman K, Shelov SP.  Concerns of medical and pediatric house officers about acquiring AIDS from their patients. Am J Public Health . 1988;;78:455-459.
17 +
Rizzo JA, Marder WD, Willke RJ.  Physician contact with and attitudes toward HIV-seropositive patients. Med Care . 1990;;28:251-260.
18 +
Gerberding JL, Littell C, Tarkington A, Brown A, Schecter WP.  Risk of exposure of surgical personnel to patients' blood during surgery at San Francisco General Hospital. N Engl J Med . 1990;;322:1788-1793.
19 +
Panlilio AL, Foy DR, Edwards JR, et al.  Blood contacts during surgical procedures. JAMA . 1991;;265:1533-1537.
20 +
Guidebook for Medical Society Grievance Committees and Disciplinary Committees . Chicago, Ill: American Medical Association; 1991;.
21 +
Haw Rev Stat §453-8(a)(9) (1988).
22 +
Ohio Rev Code Ann §4731.22(B)(18)(a) (Baldwin 1991).

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