Abstract
Introduction
Orthopedic surgeons, owing to their specialized role, have a set of medical and moral responsibilities that span beyond the confines of the operating room. The primary objective of this exploration is to emphasize the pivotal ethical and professional standards that these surgeons should uphold.
Methodology
We derived key ethical and professional aspects by reviewing standard medical practices, professional guidelines, and through consultations with senior orthopedic professionals. These aspects covered both the conduct inside the surgery room and the interpersonal relations outside.
Results
Several core areas of conduct were identified.
Patient-Centered Care: Prioritizing the holistic well-being of the patient.
Communication: Ensuring that all communications are both transparent and respectful.
Informed Consent: Properly securing consent after ensuring the patient is adequately informed.
Confidentiality: Taking measures to safeguard patient information.
Professional Behavior: Upholding the highest standards of professional conduct.
Continuous Learning: Remaining committed to updating skills and enhancing competence.
Interpersonal Relations: Building healthy and constructive relationships with industry representatives, professional peers, and hospital staff.
Personal Life Balance: Recognizing the importance of a balanced personal and professional life for holistic well-being.
Conclusion
For Orthopedic surgeons, strict adherence to the outlined ethical and professional principles is essential. Such commitment not only ensures the trust and safety of patients but also serves to maintain and elevate the prestigious standing of the orthopedic community in the broader medical landscape.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Not applicable.
References
DeRenzo EG, Singer EA, Moss J. Ethical Considerations When Preparing a Clinical Research Protocol. 2nd ed. 2020.
Faden RR, Tom LA. History and Theory of Informed Consent. Oxford University; 1986.
Varelius, J. (2006). The value of autonomy in medical ethics. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 9(3), 377–388.
O’Brien J, Chantler. Confidentiality and the duties of care. J Med Ethics. 2003;29:36–40.
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30, 17–28.
Beauchamp T. The Principle of Beneficence in Applied Ethics. In: Zalta EN, editor. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019 Edition).
Chotai, P. N., Kuzemchak, M. D., Patel, M. B., Hammack-Aviran, C., Dennis, B. M., et al. (2022). The choices we make: ethical challenges in trauma surgery. Surgery., 172, 453–459.
Marks, J., Predescu, I., & Dunn, L. B. (2021). Ethical Issues in Caring for Older Adults. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ)., 19(3), 325–329.
Attard-Montalto, S. (2001). Ethical issues in paediatric practice—part I: General principles. Images Paediatr Cardiol., 3(4), 1–3.
Miljeteig, I., Defaye, F., Desalegn, D., & Danis, M. (2019). Clinical ethics dilemmas in a low-income setting - a national survey among physicians in Ethiopia. BMC Medical Ethics, 20, 63.
Kleinsinger F. Working with the Noncompliant Patient. Perm J. 2010 Spring;14(1):54–60.
Chipidza F, Wallwork RS, Adams TN, Stern VTA. Evaluation and Treatment of the Angry Patient. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2016;18(3).
American Medical Association. AMA principles of Medical Ethics. [Internet]. 2001 Jun [cited 2023 Sep 2]. https://www.ama-assn.org/about/publicationsnewsletters/AMA-principles-medical-ethics.
Niedermeier, S. R., Apostel, A., Bhatia, S., & Khan, S. N. (2014). Cost estimates of biologic implants among orthopedic surgeons. The Am J Orthopedics., 43(1), 25–28.
Raveesh, B. N., Nayak, R. B., & Kumbar, S. F. (2016). Preventing medico-legal issues in clinical practice. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 19, S15-20.
Tanaka, M. J., Oh, L. S., Martin, S. D., & Berkson, E. M. (2020). Telemedicine in the era of COVID-19: The virtual orthopaedic examination. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 102(12), e57.
Tan, M. C., Di Silvestri, C. A., Indino, C. H., Kang, H. P., & Usuelli, F. G. (2021). Learning curve assessment for total ankle replacement using the trans-fibular approach. Foot and Ankle Surgery., 27(2), 129–137.
Bauer, H., & Honselmann, K. C. (2017). Minimum volume standards in surgery: Are we there yet? Visc Med., 33(2), 106–116.
Beauchamp, T., & Childress, J. (2013). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.
AdvaMed. Code of Ethics. Advanced Medical Technology Association; 2022 Mar 15.
AAOS. The orthopedic surgeon’s relationship with industry. Opinion on Ethics and Professionalism no. 1204. [Internet]. 1998 Dec [cited 2023 Sep 2]. Available from: https://www.aaos.org.
Opinion on Ethics and Professionalism. Advertising by Orthopaedic Surgeons. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2016 Jun.
Kilduff, G. J., Galinsky, A. D., Gallo, E., & Reade, J. J. (2016). Whatever it takes to win: Rivalry increases unethical behavior. The Academy of Management Journal., 59(5), 1508–1534.
Cobianchi, L., Mas, F. D., Massaro, M., et al. (2022). Diversity and ethics in trauma and acute care surgery teams: Results from an international survey. World Journal of Emergency Surgery., 17, 44.
Certified Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Cultivating moral resilience: Balancing heart and mind for a better practice and better you. [Internet]. 2017 Dec [cited 2023 Sep 2].Https://ccmcertification.org/sites/default/files/issue_brief_pdfs/ccmc-dec2017.web.pdf.
Soiron, R. (1998). Orthopaedic surgeons, associations, industry: progress, ethics, profit? Hip International., 8(1), 24–30.
Funding
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors of this manuscript declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Ethical Standard Statement
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the any of the authors.
Informed Consent
For this type of study, informed consent is not required.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Sen, R.K., Tripathy, S.K. & Shetty, N. Ethics in Clinical Orthopedic Surgery. JOIO 57, 1714–1721 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43465-023-01003-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43465-023-01003-4