Conflicts of Conscience and Implications for Physicians' Gatekeeping Authority

Needs Statement

Staff physicians and other allied health professionals need to be regularly updated on the guidelines and challenges related to ethics consultation, clinical ethics practice and the role of ethics in shared clinical decision-making. The series aims to increase knowledge of the learners in these topic areas, and to provide the skills and tools for their implementation in clinical practice in order to enhance the quality of patient care.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the session, the participants should be able to:

• Discuss how conflicts of conscience in medicine can be viewed through the lens of physician gatekeeping authority.
• Differentiate physician refusals based on clinical expertise, professional ethics, and personal beliefs.
• Describe reasons for and against accommodating physician conscience, and relevant constraints.
• Assess a reduction of physicians’ gatekeeping authority as a potential solution to conflicts of conscience, with implications for other areas including access to prescription drugs.

Target Audience

• Physicians
• Medical Students
• Fellows
• Residents
• Nurses
• Other Health Professionals

Accreditation/Credit Designation

Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Baylor College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been designated by Baylor College of Medicine for 1 credit of education in medical ethics and/or professional responsibility.

Social Work: Baylor College of Medicine, Office of Continuing Medical Education (License Number 7270) is an approved continuing education provider for Social Workers through the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners.

This activity has been approved for 1 continuing education unit.This session is supported by Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist, and Rice University.

Term of Approval

July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022. Original release date: July 1, 2020.

Disclosure Policy

The Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) makes every effort to develop CME activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and objectively presented. In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards for Commercial Support^SM, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) has implemented a mechanism requiring everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity (e.g., directors, planning committee members, contributors, peer reviewers) to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests (drug/device companies) and manage/resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. Individuals must disclose to participants the existence or non-existence of financial relationships: 1) at the time of the activity or within 12 months prior; and 2) of their spouses/partners.

Baylor College of Medicine does not view the existence of interests or relationships with commercial entities as implying bias or decreasing the value of a presentation. It is up to the participants to determine whether the interests or relationships influence the presenter with regard to exposition or conclusions.

If at any time during this activity you feel that there has been commercial or promotional bias, please inform us by using the commercial bias comments box in the evaluation form. Please answer the questions about balance in the CME activity evaluation candidly.