| Codes of professional conduct for Australian Defence Force military physicians: evenomating the serpent? | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20977165 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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The scandal of health professionals' involvement in recent human rights abuses in United States military detention centres has prompted concern that Australian military physicians should be well protected against similar pressures to participate in harsh interrogations. A framework of military health ethics has been proposed. Would a code of professional conduct be a partial solution? This article examines the utility of professional codes: can they transform unethical behaviour or are they only of value to those who already behave ethically? How should such codes be designed, what support mechanisms should be in place and how should complaints be managed? A key recommendation is that codes of professional conduct should be accompanied by publicly transparent procedures for the investigation of serious infractions and appropriate disciplinary action when proven. The training of military physicians should also aim to develop a sound understanding of both humanitarian and human rights law. At present, both civil and military education of physicians generally lacks any component of human rights law. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) seems well placed to add codes of professional conduct to its existing ethical framework because of strong support at the highest executive levels. |
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Authors:
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Mike O'Connor |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Journal of law and medicine Volume: 18 ISSN: 1320-159X ISO Abbreviation: J Law Med Publication Date: 2010 Sep |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-10-27 Completed Date: 2010-12-10 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9431853 Medline TA: J Law Med Country: Australia |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 103-23 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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St George Private Hospital, Sydney. celticdr@bigpond.net.au |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Australia Codes of Ethics* Humans Military Personnel* Physicians / standards* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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