AMA issues updated medical ethics code, guidance for ethical practice in telemedicine

The American Medical Association yesterday adopted the first comprehensive update to its Code of Medical Ethics in more than 50 years, as well as separate ethical guidance for physicians who respond to individual health queries electronically or provide clinical services through telemedicine. The updated ethics code “keeps pace with emerging demands physicians face with new technologies, changing patient expectations and shifting health care priorities,” said AMA President Steven Stack, M.D. The telemedicine guidelines, to be published in coming months, include informing patients about the limitations of the relationship and services provided, and encouraging patients to inform their primary care physician about the encounter, among other recommendations.