Today is our topic of discussion Medical Etiquette
Medical Etiquette
Definition:
It is the conventional law of courtesy among the members of the medical profession. Examples are –
- A doctor should consider it as a pleasure and privilege to render gratuitous to all doctors and their immediate family dependants.
- The doctor should not criticize the other doctor.
- A doctor should behave with his colleagues as like he would expect from his colleague.
Professional Infamous Conduct –
Definition:
It is something done by medical man in pursuit of his profession, with regard to which it would be reasonably regarded as disgraceful or dishonorable by his professional brethren of good repute & competency. Examples are:
Professional Infamous Conducts Are: (6As)
- Adultery
- Abortion (Unlawful)
- Alcohol (Drinking)
- Addiction (Drug)
- Association with bad people/manufacturer/ unqualified & unregistered persons havongmi
- Advertisement to promote practice
Professional Infamous Conducts Are: (3Cs)
- Conviction (except political).
- Contravention (of drug act)
- Covering
Others:
- Issuing false certificate.
- Depreciation of professional brethren.
- Dichotomy.
- Selling schedule poisons to member of the public other than his patient. notesinnyTo
- All other criminal cases.
Advertising:
Soliciting of patients directly or indirectly, by a physician, by a group of physicians or by institutions or organizations, is unethical.
Conviction:
To different charges like misconduct, adultery, addiction (drugs, alcohol etc.). Abuse of professional position by committing adultery or improper conduct with a patient or by maintaining an improper association with a patient will render a physician liable for disciplinary action.
Contravention:
A registered medical practitioner shall not contravene the provisions of the Drugs Act and regulations.
Covering:
The term ‘covering’ means association with unqualified or unregistered person practicing medicine.
Issuing false certificate:
Registered medical practitioners are in certain cases bound by law to give. or may from time to time be called upon or requested to give, certificates, notification, reports and other documents of similar character signed by them in their professional capacity for subsequent use in the courts or for administrative purposes etc. In any case a physician cannot issue a false certificate, notification or report.
Dichotomy:
It is the receiving/giving commission or other benefits from/to medical introduction of a patient. Such practice is called fee splitting or dichotomy .
Professional secrecy:
It is the implied term of contract between the medical practitioner & his patient by which the medical man is obliged both legally & ethically to keep the secrets of his patients which is learnt by him in course of treatment & disclosure of which without the consent of the patient is breach of contract & punishable under law.
Privileged Communication:
It is a statement made by a doctor to the legal authorities in the interests of the country or the public towards whom he has a legal, social or moral duty. although such communication under normal conditions contravenes general rule of professional secrecy,
Negligence:
It means doing something that is not supposed to do or failing to do something that is supposed to do.
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