Ethical Decision Making by British General Practitioners

Ronald J. Christie, The University of Western Ontario
Charles Freer
Barry Hoffmaster, The University of Western Ontario
Moira A. Stewart, The University of Western Ontario

Abstract

General practitioners in England and Wales were sent a questionnaire asking how they would handle the ethical problems posed by six case vignettes and their reasons for their decisions. The ethical problems included: how much information to divulge to patients, how extensively a physician should become involved in the lifestyles of patients and how to deal with a possible family problem. The varying patterns of response to the six cases suggested that ethical issues are resolved in a case-by-case, not a theoretical, basis.