In an era of stem-cell research, abortion legislation and 44 million uninsured, ethics in medicine has moved to the forefront of physicians’ and patients’ attention. That’s why on Sept. 18, the AMA, along with all national medical association members of the World Medical Association (WMA), will celebrate global Medical Ethics Day, established by the WMA in October 2003 to highlight and promote the presence of ethics in medicine. The AMA recognizes both the importance of increasing awareness and fostering interest in exploring what medical ethics means to physicians and what that brings to the quality of health care for current and future patients.

AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) Chair Michael Goldrich, MD, an otolaryngologist in New Brunswick, N.J., said global Medical Ethics Day will, "draw the attention of physicians and the general public to one of the defining characteristics of medicine as a profession. [It shows] that we’re guided by a code of ethics that governs our relationship with other physicians and, most importantly, with our patients."

Indeed, said AMA President John C. Nelson, MD, MPH, the AMA was founded by Dr. Nathan Smith Davis in 1847 for two major reasons: standardizing medical education and medical ethics.

"The AMA Code of Medical Ethics is today the standard in all 50 States and all U.S. Territories," Dr. Nelson said. "The fundamental precept underlying the Code is that the needs of patients are always the physician's first concern. The AMA’s CEJA is constantly reviewing AMA policy to make sure that it fits into those standards or to recommend changes. This dynamic process, in addition to scholarly research and discussion, ensures that the Code is updated and relevant."

"The AMA," he continued, "commends the WMA for World Ethics Day. We are honored to participate with them and offer our services to National Medical Associations around the world as well as to the doctors they represent and the patients they serve."

For Goldrich, the "opportunity [as a member of CEJA] to continually review the emerging issues in ethics is the way to keep our profession just that - a profession; a group that commits itself to a code of conduct." In that sense, he said, "it’s a tremendous honor to be a part of the history of medical ethics, which dates all the way back to the Hippocratic Oath."

AMA member Jonathan Berkoff, MD, an OB/Gyn who serves as chair of the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Council on Ethics and Judicial Affairs, wrote an opinion piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last year, in which he spoke of Medical Ethics Day as an opportunity to highlight critical issues that all physicians should think about, such as end-of-life care. (Read the article.)

"From the care of patients at the bedside up into the policy level, ethics is a part of my - and every physician’s - life," Dr. Berkoff said in an interview. "I was always taught that good ethics start with good facts. The facts of ethics are changing everyday. We are constantly having to revisit ethical issues and it’s important for everyone - people in health care or the lay public - to be aware that those of us in medicine take ethics seriously."

As Dr. Goldrich summed it up, "Ultimately, the AMA was organized around the Code of Ethics itself. It’s not only the heart of our profession - it’s the health of our organization."

In recognition of Medical Ethics Day, the AMA will host a series of events this fall to examine several issues confronting medicine and society:

• On Sept. 17, the AMA, the Illinois State Medical Society and the Chicago Medical Society are hosting an evening of conversation and reflection on medicine’s historical commitment to caring and ethics, entitled "Strong Opinions: Selections from the AMA Code of Medical Ethics." This event will be moderated by CEJA member Regina M. Benjamin, MD, and feature Clarence H. Braddock, III, MD, Stanford Medical School; Arthur R. Derse, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; and Steven R. Latham, JD, Quinnipiac University School of Law. The panelists will offer their insights and critiques on noteworthy Ethical Opinions in the Code, and will engage the audience in a lively discussion about the value and function of the world’s first code of professional ethics. This event is open to all Chicago-area physicians and medical students; CME credit will be offered.
  
• On the weeks of Sept. 12 and 19, Dr. Nelson will speak about medical ethics on "Radio Health Journal," a medical news and information radio program syndicated in 435 markets. In marking the first ever Medical Ethics Day, this radio news release will also offer information for patients on the value of hospital ethics committees in helping patients and their physicians with difficult medical decisions (call 847-299-9500 for information on when "Radio Health Journal" airs in your local areas).
  
• In October, "Radio Health Journal" will feature an extended story and commentary on hospital ethics committees.
  
• In September, the AMA is coordinating an online WorldScopes collection drive in cooperation with state and specialty medical societies. For as little as $15, a physician can purchase and donate a stethoscope to a distant colleague around the world who still lacks ready access to this basic medical instrument.
  

The September issue of Virtual Mentor, AMA’s online ethics journal, will examine the topic of human rights and medicine.