Just say no: No Appointment Necessary? Ethical Challenges in Treating Friends and Family

N Engl J Med. 2014 Sep 25;371(13):1254-1258.

No Appointment Necessary? Ethical Challenges in Treating Friends and Family.

Gold KJ1, Goldman EB, Kamil LH, Walton S, Burdette TG, Moseley KL.

Author information

• 1From the Departments of Family Medicine (K.J.G.), Obstetrics and Gynecology (K.J.G., E.B.G.), Compliance (L.H.K.), Anesthesia (S.W.), Spiritual Care (T.G.B.), and Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases (K.L.M.) and the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine (E.B.G., K.L.M.), University of Michigan, and the University of Michigan Law School (E.B.G.) - all in Ann Arbor.

Abstract

The authors discuss the ethical issues that can arise when physicians provide medical care to family members or friends, and they review the professional guidelines with respect to these cases.