This page includes tools and information to support ethical decision-making in clinical practice, training, and professional development.
Professional Development
More podcasts
Episode 59: Essential Ethics in Paediatrics
Episode 62: Essential Ethics in Adolescent Health
Ethical reflection and analysis are an integral part of clinical practice and requires clinicians to have a strong foundation in ethical principles, reflection and reasoning.
Curated Collections — Ethics | RACP Online Learning Resources (member login required)
Access peer-reviewed CPD resources on ethics.
Professional Skills — Ethics | RACP Online Learning Resources (member login required)
Broaden your understanding of ethics through this resource as you learn about, discuss and reflect on the main ethical issues facing physicians.
Clinical Ethics online course | This resource helps supervisors build a baseline ethics capacity in physicians and improve their ability to teach and assess clinical ethics capabilities in their trainees.
Trainee education
Ethics is embedded in the Basic and Advanced Physician Training Programs through the Professional Practice Framework and Professional Qualities Curriculum (PDF).
In the Basic Training Program, trainees are required to undertake the Professional Skills — Ethics online course through RACP Online Learning Resources (member login required).
In the Advanced Training Program, program requirements are set by the Training Committees for all 35 programs. In the current curricula, Advanced Trainees are required to complete reflective exercises demonstrating competency in the Professional Qualities Curriculum.
Beyond the curricula, trainees at all levels are encouraged to develop their clinical ethics capacity.
Clinical Ethics Services
Healthcare delivery is becoming increasingly complex. On occasions, clinicians and healthcare organisations need access to appropriate guidance and support to help navigate these challenges. Increasingly, this support is being provided by various models of clinical ethics support locally and overseas.
Setting up a service
NHMRC Consensus Statement on Clinical Ethics
NHMRC Clinical Ethics Capacity Building Resource Manual
Professional guidelines and codes
Australia
Australian Medical Association – Doctors’ Relationships with Industry 2018
Medical Board AHPRA – Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia
Medicines Australia – Code of Conduct
International
American Medical Association – Code of Medical Ethics
British Medical Association – Transparency for doctors with competing interests
Canadian Medical Association – Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry