1. Ethics & Professionalism
Serving the Best Interests of Patients and the Profession

2. Why is this Topic Important?
Integrity of the Profession
Engenders Patient Trust
Communicates Transparency and Responsibility to the Public, Legislators, and Most Importantly, Patients.

3. Ethics in Ophthalmology
Ethics address conduct and relate to what behavior is appropriate or inappropriate, as reasonably determined by the entity setting the ethical standards.
An issue of ethics in ophthalmology is resolved by the determination that the best interests of patients are served.
Ophthalmological services must be provided with compassion, respect for human dignity, honesty and integrity.
It is the responsibility of an ophthalmologist to act in the best interest of the patient.

4. Professionalism in Ophthalmology
A Profession is self-regulating
It is concerned with a specialized large body of knowledge
It ranks fiduciary responsibility to the patient above profit
It recognizes the dependence of those seeking its services
It involves trust between the provider and the seeker of services

5. Challenges to Professionalism
Conflicts of interest (i.e., fee for service)
Decreasing reimbursement
Advertising/Competition
Commercial Relationships
Emerging Technologies
Research vs. Patient Care
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
ROI issues
Consulting as a Clinical Investigator

6. Rule 12. Communications to Colleagues
Communications to colleagues must be accurate and truthful.

7. Rule 14. Interrelations between Ophthalmologists
Interrelations between ophthalmologists must be conducted in a manner that advances the best interests of the patient, including the sharing of relevant information.

8. Rule 15. Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning the well-being of the patient has a reasonable chance of being influenced by other interests of the provider.
Disclosure of a conflict of interest is requried in communications to patients, the public, and colleagues.

9. The “Profess” in Professionalism
Pelligrino and Professionalism:
When you joined the “profession” of medicine then you implicitly “professed” to the public at large that as a doctor you were dedicated to your patients and would place their needs before your own needs.
Edmund Daniel Pellegrino (June 22, June 13, 2013)was an American bioethicist and academic. Pellegrino was an expert both in clinical bioethics, and in the field of medicine and the humanities, specifically, the teaching of humanities in medical school.