Doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic: what are their duties and what is owed to them?

Doctors form an essential part of an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue they have a duty to participate in pandemic response due to their special skills, but these skills vary between different doctors, and their duties are constrained by other competing rights. We conclude that w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of medical ethics Vol. 47; no. 1; p. 12
Main Authors:	Johnson, Stephanie B, Butcher, Frances
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England 01-01-2021
Subjects:	COVID-19 Delivery of Health Care Humans Moral Obligations Pandemics Physicians - psychology Refusal to Treat SARS-CoV-2 United Kingdom United Kingdom ethics public health ethics clinical ethics health personnel
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Summary:	Doctors form an essential part of an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue they have a duty to participate in pandemic response due to their special skills, but these skills vary between different doctors, and their duties are constrained by other competing rights. We conclude that while doctors should be encouraged to meet the demand for medical aid in the pandemic, those who make the sacrifices and increased efforts are owed reciprocal obligations in return. When reciprocal obligations are not met, doctors are further justified in opting out of specific tasks, as long as this is proportionate to the unmet obligation.
ISSN:	1473-4257
DOI:	10.1136/medethics-2020-106266