The Hippocratic Oath

Hippocrates, faðir at læknavísindini

I do solemnly swear by that which I hold most sacred:

• That I will be loyal to the profession of medicine and just and generous to its members!
• That I will lead my life and practise my art in uprightness and honor!
• That into whatsoever house I shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of my power, I holding myself aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice!
• That I will exercise my art solely for the cure of my patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation for a criminal purpose, even if solicited, far less suggest it!
• That whatsoever I shall see or hear of the lives of men which is not fitting to be spoken, I will keep inviolably secret. These things I do promise, and in proportion as I am faithful to this my oath may happiness and good repute be ever mine. The opposite if I shall be forsworn!

Sí Hippocratic Oath - Classical and Modern Version!

Guiding Principles for Ethical Research

Pursuing Potential Research Participants Protections

“When people are invited to participate in research, there is a strong belief that it should be their choice based on their understanding of what the study is about, and the risks and benefits of the study"

Informed consent

Potential participants should make their own decision about whether they want to participate or continue participating in research. This is done through a process of informed consent in which individuals (1) are accurately informed of the purpose, methods, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the research, (2) understand this information and how it relates to their own clinical situation or interests, and (3) make a voluntary decision about whether to participate.

Sí neyvari kunning frá NIH!

The Montgomery Case

Montgomery and informed consent

Before Montgomery, a doctor's duty to warn patients of risks was based on whether they had acted in line with a responsible body of medical opinion. This was known as the Bolam test.

The court accepted that if Mrs Montgomery been told about the risk of dystocia, she would have chosen to have a caesarean. Her appeal was successful and the judgment held that the assessment of whether consent was adequate in a clinical negligence claim would not be assessed by the Bolam test.

Instead, doctors must provide information about allmaterialrisks; they must disclose any risk to which a reasonable person in the patient's position would attach significance.

The judgment therefore means that doctors must share all such material risks, as well as any it would be reasonable for them to think the individual patient would attach significance.

Sí neyvari kunning frá MDU!

Medical consent

More than a signature, more than a form

Despite how it can often feel in the middle of a busy clinic, or at the start of a full theatre list, consent is more than obtaining a signature on a piece of paper. It is a process that is part of patient-centred care and begins with finding out what matters to the patient, identifying what options are reasonable – including the option of no treatment – and helping the patient decide which option suits them best.

Sí neyvari kunning - Medical consent!

Patientsikkerhed og dokumentation

Sikkerhed for patienter i sundhedsvæsnet er, at patienter får en faglig korrekt behandling og ikke udsættes for fejlbehandlinger eller skader, som kunne være undgået, og som ikke er et direkte resultat af patientens helbredsmæssige tilstand.

I Danmark er der siden 2003 skabt et lovfæstet nationalt system til dokumentation og udvikling af patientsikkerheden.

Grundlaget for patientsikkerhed i Danmark er Sundhedsloven(kapitel 61). Heraf fremgår sundhedspersonalets pligt til at rapportere utilsigtede hændelser til Dansk Patientsikkerheds Database (DPSD), der er forankret hos Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed.

Sundhedsloven, Kapitel 61

Stk. 5. Ved en utilsigtet hændelse forstås en begivenhed, der forekommer i forbindelse med sundhedsfaglig virksomhed, herunder præhospital indsats, eller i forbindelse med forsyning af og information om lægemidler. Utilsigtede hændelser omfatter på forhånd kendte og ukendte hændelser og fejl, som ikke skyldes patientens sygdom, og som enten er skadevoldende eller kunne have været skadevoldende, men forinden blev afværget eller i øvrigt ikke indtraf på grund af andre omstændigheder.

Sí neyvari kunning - Sundhedsloven!