Doctors unveil modern update of Hippocratic oath

[Guest guest]

Doctors unveil modern update of Hippocratic oath

By Reaney

LONDON, Feb 05 (Reuters) - European and American doctors unveiled a new

professional code of conduct on Tuesday, an update of the nearly

2,500-year-old Hippocratic oath designed to help doctors meet the needs

of patients in the 21st century.

The professional charter aims to restore public confidence in the

medical profession, which has been badly bruised by cases of misconduct,

to help doctors cope with ethical problems in the modern world and to

reaffirm the profession's commitment to putting the needs of the patient

first.

Professor Alberti, president of the Royal College of Physicians

in London, described the charter, published jointly in The Lancet

medical journal and the ls of Internal Medicine, as a guide to

modern medical practice.

" The role of the professional is being questioned more and more by the

public, by the government and by the media. I think we need to reassert

what it means to be a professional, " he said.

Patient autonomy and choice, working in teams and respecting other

professionals are issues relevant to doctors today but were not

important during the time of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine

who was born in Greece around 460 BC.

The ethical code attributed to the Greek physician has been used as a

guide of conduct for the medical profession for ages. It tells doctors:

" You will exercise your art solely for the cure of your patients, and

will give no drug, perform no operation, for a criminal purpose. "

Patients today are more knowledgeable about their health problems and

are no longer unquestioning recipients of medical care. Doctors, in

turn, are faced with problems in healthcare delivery systems, an

explosion in new technology and ethical dilemmas.

" I think there is room for some modification and updating (of the oath)

to reflect today's world which is a much more accountable and hopefully

open world, " Alberti said.

son, the secretary general of the European Federation

of Internal Medicine, said the new code of ethics is a milestone in

improving the patient-physician relationship.

" We are dedicated to implementing it across the continent as a set of

professional values that empower both doctors and patients in the 21st

Century, " he said in a statement.

The charter is a joint American-British collaboration. Launched by the

American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the American College of

Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) and the

European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM), it clearly sets out

responsibilities to ensure patient care.

It commits doctors to improve access and the quality of care for

patients, to maintain appropriate relations, to be honest with them and

to maintain their confidentiality.

It also urges doctors to maintain a level of professional competence, to

keep up with scientific advances and to avoid conflicts of interest.

" The charter incorporates our traditional understanding or professional

norms into the circumstances of the practice of medicine today, and is

intended to provide guidance to physicians faced with a variety of new

ethical challenges, " said Troy Brennan, the chairman of the Medical

Professionalism Project, which drafted the charter.