When three are present at the consultation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v24i1.10465Keywords:
Ethics, Confidentiality, Consent, Medical EducationAbstract
The presence of a third party in doctor-patient relationship, occurring often in Family Medicine consultations, raises ethical issues which, to date, have been scarcely debated amongst Portuguese physicians and seldom generated specific guidelines. This paper reviews the available fonts of ethical guidelines (physicians Code of Ethics, international conventions, bioethics institutions and pregraduate teaching). At the light of these guidelines, clinical vignettes are then discussed: adolescent contraception, consultation in the presence of relatives of competent patients, giving bad news, care to the disabled and their carers, consultation in the presence of students or doctors in training and the delegation of care to doctors in training. Ethical thinking, using the principles of beneficence/nonmaleficence, autonomy and dignity, is illustrated and strategies are offered for family practice. The conclusions are for the need of teaching, training and counselling in medical ethics, as well as for more specific ethic guidelines.Downloads
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