Exploitation, Ethics and Law : Violating the Ethos of the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Ost, Suzanne and Biggs, Hazel (2021) Exploitation, Ethics and Law : Violating the Ethos of the Doctor-Patient Relationship. Biomedical Law and Ethics . Routledge. ISBN 9781138238756

Abstract

The central argument in this monograph is that exploitation in the doctor-patient relationship is a special case because of the dynamics of this relationship (in particular, its fiduciary nature, the importance of trust and the patient’s reliance on the doctor regarding the significant matter of her health), and the potential it offers for doctors who do not prioritise the interests of their patients to exploit them. Through the use of case studies (sexual exploitation and assisted dying), we consider what constitutes exploitation in the doctor-patient relationship, how exploitation interacts with vulnerability, and how exploitation is and should be dealt with by professional medical ethics and the law.