ethical issues

[Guest guest]

As long as discussion of case histories is conducted in an ethical manner I

cant see any problem.

Patients have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And they seem well

aware of this, beam happily at the idea of consultation with

colleagues about their problems, especially consultation with far-flung

colleagues over the net.

Conducting discussion in an ethical manner means I think acting as though px

had access to our discussion.

In other words we write nothing that we would not mind letting px see, that

an average px would not find acceptable.

I once worked in a country with a Freedom of Information Act, in

a university department taken to court by a group of students for

withholding information. There was a lot of debate in staff meetings about

the politically correct way to write up

student records. There was a lot of self-criticism of past practice. Some

people were worried that they would

no longer be able to express their opinions frankly and the records would

lose their point. In fact student records simply became less patronising and

less sexist. Shortcomings herbalists would not appear prone to. Still its

easy for closed groups to become complacent. So writing with an FIA

over one's shoulder, as it were, is not a bad idea.

Maybe for us its mostly that we are dealing with a new way of communication.

We are in the business of creating a culture of using the net for our

purpose and we are bound initially to put some feet wrong.

Writing about patients with respect, the way we would expect to be written

about.(as well as treating each other with respect).

That seems to me crucial.

And if we get that right, the more discussion the better.

Waters

e.waters@...