Ethical Decision Making by Family Doctors in Canada, Britain and the United States
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1991
Source
Social Science & Medicine
Volume
33
Issue
6
First Page
647
Last Page
653
URL with Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(91)90018-8
Abstract
Family doctors in Canada and the U.S. and general practitioners in England and Wales were sent a questionnaire containing six cases that raised moral issues. The doctors were asked to select the most appropriate course of action for each case as well as reasons for that decision. The ethical problems concerned how much information to divulge to patients, how extensively a physician should become involved in the lifestyles of patients, and how to deal with a possible family problem. The respondents selected different courses of action for the cases. More U.S. than Canadian or British physicians chose to divulge information, while more British than Canadian or U.S. physicians chose not to become involved in patients' lifestyles. Physicians who chose to divulge information were likely to be young, male, live in a small community, and have no academic affiliation. Physicians who chose not to become involved in lifestyle issues were likely to be young, church attenders, and in group practice in a small community.
