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Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors

Course Description

Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors (USA) is a CPD course designed to help physicians understand, apply, and evidence ethical principles in clinical and professional practice.

In the United States, doctors are regulated by state medical boards, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), and guided by national standards such as the American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics. These bodies consistently emphasise that medical practice must rest on honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect for patient autonomy.

This course explores core ethical principles — autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice — as well as professional standards expected of doctors in areas such as informed consent, confidentiality, communication, probity, and digital professionalism. Learners will study regulator expectations, analyse case studies of ethical dilemmas, and develop strategies for embedding ethics into lifelong professional identity.

Course Content

Course Objectives
Course Objectives
Section 1: Introduction — Why Ethics Matters in U.S. Medical Practice
1.1 The Role of Ethics in Medicine
1.2 Why Regulators Prioritise Ethics
1.3 The Link Between Ethics and Professional Identity
1.4 Consequences of Ethical Lapses
1.5 Why Ethics Matters Now More Than Ever
1.6 Reflective Quiz
Section 2: Core Ethical Principles — Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Justice
2.1 Autonomy — Respecting Patient Choice
2.2 Beneficence — Acting in the Patient’s Best Interest
2.3 Non-Maleficence — “Do No Harm”
2.4 Justice — Fairness in Care and Resource Distribution
2.5 Balancing Principles in Practice
2.6 Reflective Quiz
Section 3: The AMA Code of Medical Ethics — Key Standards for Doctors
3.1 Honesty and Probity
3.2 Respect for Patient Autonomy and Consent
3.3 Confidentiality and Privacy
3.4 Professional Boundaries
3.5 Conflicts of Interest
3.6 Digital Professionalism
3.7 Accountability in Professional Conduct
3.8 Reflective Quiz
Section 4: Common Ethical Dilemmas in Medical Practice
4.1 Informed Consent vs Beneficence
4.2 Confidentiality vs Duty to Warn
4.3 End-of-Life Decisions
4.4 Allocation of Scarce Resources
4.5 Conflicts of Interest
4.6 Cultural and Religious Beliefs
4.7 Reflective Quiz
Section 5: Confidentiality, Digital Professionalism, and HIPAA Compliance
5.1 The Ethical Duty of Confidentiality
5.2 HIPAA Compliance
5.3 Confidentiality in the Digital Era
5.4 Digital Professionalism and Social Media
5.5 Telemedicine and Ethical Standards
5.6 Consequences of Breaches
5.7 Reflective Quiz
Section 6: Probity, Honesty, and Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
6.1 Probity as a Core Ethical Duty
6.2 Honesty in Documentation and Communication
6.3 Financial Integrity and Billing Practices
6.4 Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
6.5 Transparency and Disclosure
6.6 Consequences of Breaching Probity
6.7 Reflective Quiz
Section 7: Weak vs Strong Ethical Responses — Case Comparisons
7.1 Documentation Falsification
7.2 Failure to Obtain Informed Consent
7.3 Boundary Concern
7.4 Billing Misconduct
7.5 Disrespectful Communication
7.6 Lessons from Case Comparisons
7.7 Reflective Quiz
Section 8: Demonstrating Ethics in Disciplinary and Remediation Processes
8.1 Why Ethics Matters in Disciplinary Processes
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