The issue of has taken on increasing significance of late. Wrapped up in this issue are several key issues:
- What is the role of professional organizations and authorities in enforcing certain practices and ethical standards?
- How do we define and distinguish between science and pseudoscience?
- What does “evidence based” practice mean?
- How do we determine “truth” in the natural sciences and in particular, the medical sciences?
- Upon what should ethical standards in medicine be based? How should those standards be enforced? Who should do the enforcing?
“The AMA will look at creating ethical guidelines for physicians in the media, write a report on how doctors may be disciplined for violating medical ethics through their press involvement, and release a public statement denouncing the dissemination of dubious medical information through the radio, TV, newspapers, or websites.”
TOK Topics 