The Practice Guide
5. Managing Conflicts of Interest
A physician must always act in the patient’s best
interests.
A physician’s interests should not be in conflict with
the patient’s. Any conflicts of interest must be properly managed so as not to compromise the patient’s
best interests, or be avoided.
Physicians should guard against compromising their
duty to their patients by pursuing personal advantage, whether financial or otherwise, at the expense
of the patient. Physicians, like any other member of
society, are entitled to earn an income and be paid
appropriately for their services to patients. However,
in all situations where a conflict of interest arises
in the course of professional duties and activities,
physicians should recognize the conflict, ensure that
the patient’s best interests remain paramount and,
where appropriate, disclose the conflict of interest to
the patient.
Physicians should also be aware of the possibility
of damage to the reputation of the profession by
the appearance of a conflict, even though an actual
conflict may not exist, and avoid creating such a
perception.
6. Advocating for Patients
Advocacy is an important component of the doctorpatient relationship; physicians should, individually
and collectively, advocate for their patients. Advocacy involves the responsible use of expertise and
influence to advance patients’ health care interests.
Individuals: The health care system is a complex
network of care providers, services and benefits. To
ensure that patients receive fair and efficient treatment by others involved in their care, physicians
should use their knowledge of the system to assist
their patients in successfully navigating this network.
Communities and Populations: Physicians have a
responsibility to advocate on behalf of their patients
to advance policies that promote the health and
well-being of the public.
B. AS A MEMBER OF THE
PROFESSION, COLLECTIVELY TO
THE PUBLIC
Principles of Practice
That the values of compassion, service, altruism,
and trustworthiness apply to the individual doctorpatient relationship is clear. Physicians have responsibilities to patients which, as noted earlier, are
paramount. However, these values are also reflected
in the individual physician’s responsibility to the profession of medicine, inasmuch as the medical profession works together to serve the public interest.
Duties
1. Participating in Self-Regulation
Physicians have been granted the privilege of selfregulation. Society allows physicians to regulate
themselves in return for the covenant that this
regulation will occur in the public interest. The social
contract between the public and the profession
places certain responsibilities on the physician as an
individual, with respect to his or her colleagues and
with respect to collective involvement for the best
interests of patients and the community. Meeting
these responsibilities requires efficient and appropriate governance and a reliable system of accountability. It is not enough for physicians to accept regulation. To ensure the continuity of self-regulation, each
physician should, along with the College, participate
in the self-regulatory process.
The goal of regulation is to serve the public by ensuring the best quality care for patients in Ontario.
Both the College and individual physicians have a
responsibility to ensure quality care by continually
improving skills and behaviour as well as responding
to concerns around practice/behaviour.
Welcome to the College – May 2016
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