The American College of Physicians (ACP) yesterday published an updated edition of its ethics manual, the seventh version since 1984. The purpose of this manual is to “facilitate the process of making ethical decisions in clinical practice, teaching, and medical research and to describe and explain underlying principles of ethics, as well as the physician’s role in society and with colleagues”.
This update includes new sections on current topics such as telemedicine, genetic testing and social media, but also reviews key topics in bioethics, upholding its long-standing commitments. On end-of-life care and medically assisted suicide, it states in particular that “the College does not support legalization of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. After much consideration, the College concluded that making physician-assisted suicide legal raised serious ethical, clinical, and social concerns”.
For further reading:
American College of Physicians still responds negatively to assisted suicide
Medical Press, American College of Physicians (15/01/2019) – Annals of Internal Medecine : American College of Physicians Ethics Manual: Seventh Edition
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