The static evolution of the new Italian code of medical ethics

G. Montanari Vergallo, F.P. Busardò, S. Zaami, E. Marinelli

Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. fra.busardo@libero.it

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• Bioethics

Eight years since the last revision, in May 2014 the Italian code of medical ethics has been updated. Here, the Authors examine the reform in the light of the increasing difficulties of the medical profession arising from the severity of the Italian law Courts.
The most significant aspects of this new code are firstly, the patient’s freedom of self-determination and secondly, risk prevention through the disclosure of errors and adverse events. However, in both areas the reform seems to be less effective if we compare the ethical codes of France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In particular, the non-taking into consideration of the said code quality standards and scientific evidence which should guide doctors in their clinical practice is to say the least questionable.
Since these are the most significant changes in the new code, it seems inevitable to conclude that the 2014 edition is essentially in line with previous versions.
Now more than ever it is necessary that medical ethics acknowledges that medicine, society and medical jurisprudence have changed and doctors must be given new rules in order to protect both patients’ rights and dignity of the profession. The physician’s right to refuse to perform treatment at odds with his own clinical beliefs cannot be the only mean to safeguard the dignity of the profession. A clear boundary must also be established between medicine and professionalism as well as the criteria in determining the scientific evidences that physicians must follow. This has not been done in the Italian code of ethics, despite all the controversy caused by the Stamina case.

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