Virtual Mentor. May 2007, Volume 9, Number 05

Ethics Poll

The influence of Roman Catholic medical institutions

The Ethics Poll is a snapshot of the opinions of interested readers.

Have you ever been denied a treatment or a prescription due to the moral convictions of a physician or those of the religious health institution where he or she worked?
Yes
No

Catholic medical education urges students to recognize the role that every patient's mind, body and spirit play in his or her overall health. Has a physician ever inquired about your spiritual well-being?
At least one physician has asked about my spiritual well being.
I have never been asked about my spiritual well-being, but I wish I had been.
I have never been asked about my spiritual well-being, and I do not think it is a physician's role to ask me.

Catholic medical education draws heavily upon the long ethical tradition of the faith, grounded in the intrinsic dignity of humans, the principle of beneficence, and the duty to serve the poor. On balance, do you think this training places physician graduates of Catholic medical schools:
At an advantage in healing relationships with all patients.
At an advantage in healing relationships with patients who are Catholic.
At a disadvantage because of the sectarian nature of the training.

View results
Poll results reflect the opinions of visitors to the site who voluntarily answer the poll questions. Those visitors do not represent a random sample of Virtual Mentor readers. The viewpoints expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMA.