Historical background
This focus on ethics and code of conduct is a direct response to conditions experienced throughout recent history.
According to Metcalf (2014),2 Mid-20th-century wars and research scandals (Nazi doctor trials at Nuremberg, Tuskegee, Stanford Prison research scandals, etc.) have led to the formation of core ethics codes across all domains. More recently, data-intensive medicine (patient data held in large computer databases) has informed the revision of patient privacy laws.
Inquiries have led to:
- necessary guidance and standards for healthcare,
- deterrence of unethical behavior,
- ways to reduce conflict,
- protection of vulnerable populations,
- a basis for adjudicating disputes,
- and response to past harms done by the profession (among other goals).
Specific laws and codes of conduct may vary from country to country. This module will focus mainly on the health care system ethics and codes of conduct in the United States.
