Benjamin Frush MD, a resident in internal medicine-pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, argues in favor of a role that physicians can play in integrating religion into their clinical practice. Rob Poole MB, FRCPsych, contends that physicians should never incorporate a religious element into clinical practice.
Health care professionals have the right to protect themselves from unjust discrimination, but doing so should not interfere with their professional commitments to promote patient’s access to care, even when patients exhibit objectionable behavior.
In general, ethical tension exists when a physician’s obligation to promote a patient’s best interests competes with the physician’s obligation to respect the patient’s autonomy.
The professional obligation to promote the health and wellbeing of the members of society is central to the legitimacy and integrity of the profession.
