Lois Snyder, JD; Cathy Leffler, JD; for the Ethics and Human Rights Committee, American College of Physicians*
Acknowledgments: The American College of Physicians and the ACP Ethics and Human Rights Committee are solely responsible for the contents of the Manual. Both thank former Committee members who made contributions to the development of this Manual through their reviews of drafts and work on previous editions: Troyen A. Brennan, MD; Richard J. Carroll, MD; Kenneth V. Eden, MD; Saul J. Farber, MD; Arthur W. Feinberg, MD; Steven Miles, MD; Gail J. Povar, MD; William A. Reynolds, MD; Bernard M. Rosof, MD; David L. Schiedermayer, MD; Gerald E. Thomson, MD; and James A. Tulsky, MD. They also thank additional reviewers of the Manual: Dan Brock, PhD; Linda Hawes Clever, MD; Martin L. Evers, MD; Michelina Fato, MD; Robert L. Fine, MD; Charles L. Junkerman, MD; Walter J. McDonald, MD; Richard L. Neubauer, MD; Henry S. Perkins, MD; Robert L. Potter, MD; Ralph Schmeltz, MD; James R. Webster Jr., MD. Finally, they thank Emily Mok for research assistance and Laura Gregory for administrative support.
Requests for Single Reprints: Lois Snyder, JD, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Medicine, law, and social values are not static. Reexamining the ethical tenets of medical practice and their application in new circumstances is a necessary exercise. The fifth edition of the College's Ethics Manual covers emerging issues in medical ethics and revisits old ones. It reflects on many of the ethical tensions faced by internists and their patients and attempts to shed light on how existing principles extend to emerging concerns. In addition, by reiterating ethical principles that have provided guidance in resolving past ethical problems, the Manual may help physicians avert future problems. The Manual is not a substitute for the experience and integrity of individual physicians, but it may serve as a reminder of the shared obligations and duties of the medical profession.
*Current and former members of the Ethics and Human Rights Committee who developed this fifth edition of the Manual: William E. Golden, MD (Chair); Harmon H. Davis, II, MD (Vice Chair); David A. Fleming, MD; Susan E. Glennon, MD; Vincent E. Herrin, MD; Virginia L. Hood, MD, MPH; Jay A. Jacobson, MD; Stephen R. Jones, MD; Allen S. Keller, MD; Joanne Lynn, MD; Clement J. McDonald, MD; Paul S. Mueller, MD; Steven Z. Pantilat, MD; David W. Potts, MD; and Daniel P. Sulmasy, OFM, MD, PhD. Approved by the Board of Regents on 17 July 2004.
Snyder L, Leffler C, for the Ethics and Human Rights Committee, American College of Physicians*. Ethics Manual: Fifth Edition. Ann Intern Med. ;142:560–582. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-142-7-200504050-00014
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Published: Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(7):560-582.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-142-7-200504050-00014
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