Medscape surveyed 5,250 physicians from 29-plus specialties about how they feel about difficult decisions regarding patient care.
Here were the most frequently reported ethical dilemmas:
1. End-of-life care decisions
2. Discharging noncompliant patients
3. Dealing with inappropriate behavior by patients and colleagues
4. Reporting suspected abuse
5. Weighing personal beliefs versus what administration requires
6. Treating or not treating chronically ill patients who can't afford care
Here are the ethical issues occurring most frequently in physicians' practices:
1. Conducting unnecessary procedures
2. Deciphering the truth behind workers' comp/disability claims
3. Stretching the truth to get medications covered by insurance
4. Dealing with unethical colleagues/administrators
5. Decisions on withdrawing care
6. Managing drug-seeking patients