engleski

Ethics and Occupational Medicine

Ethical issues especially in the field of clinical medical praxis have always been connected to the physician patient relationship. In the field of occupational medicine the physician patient relationship and the classical ethical issues that emerge from it are additionally complicated and burden by the influence of the third party – the employer. Physician working in the field of occupational medicine is not only bound by the rules that govern physician patient relationship. Additional expectations are set forth before him by the fact that his patient is in the same time also an employee whose welfare has to be taken into account in the context of employer employee relationship. Moreover, in the field of occupational medicine physician patient relationship is additionally burden by the fact that physician in his work should not only take into account interest of his patient/ employee but also his employer with whom often physician is in a business relationship. That is why the physicians working in the field of occupational medicine often find themselves in the situation of double loyalty. On one side it is expected of the physician to give to the employer objective advice in connection to their interests and the protection procedures at workplace. On the other side it is expected of the physicians to provide timely and adequate protection to the employees. In this expose the basic ethical issues which can emerge in the work of physicians working in the field of occupational medicine are discussed through series of examples. Protection of life and health of employees, respect for human dignity, promotion of highest ethical values in professional conduct, impartiality, protection of private health and personal data are some of the ethical obligations important for the work of physicians in the field of occupational medicine. Physicians working in the field of occupational medicine must enjoy full professional freedom in performing all of their functions. They must be trained to have and attain these functions and at the same time have conditions that will enable them to perform those functions in accordance with the professional ethical principles.

ethics; occupational medicine

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