This is because there are many laws in place that deal with medical treatment, and sometimes those laws are not in harmony with many Torah medical ethics. The fear of lawsuits can sometimes paralyze and trap a doctor with any form of ethics that he or she is following, or the patient may not understand the doctor's concerns when it comes to wanting to respect the Torah medical ethics.
How can a doctor respect the Torah medical ethics without opening up himself or herself to lawsuits from patients? How can he or she still respect secular law while respecting religious law, and can these two coexist? Here are some quick tip to consider in this regard.
Stress Prevention
There are many aspects of medicine today that stress prevention, and doing so shows respect for Torah medical ethics. Many parts of Jewish law stress prevention when it comes to healthcare, and this can actually often be more effective than trying to treat a condition after it has developed. Prevention as it applies to Torah medical ethics may include diet, physical activity, and lifestyle choices.
As an example, stressing smoking cessation for patients is showing respect for Torah medical ethics and for their overall health. Many doctors today are also understanding the importance of diet and good nutrition, and of keeping one's weight under control as means of prevention. Regular exercise is also crucial and can help with many different health concerns, and stressing these will show respect to Torah medical ethics. They will also help to keep a patient in the best health possible, as a healthy diet and regular exercise can help with problems such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and a host of other condition.
Get Educated
How can you show respect for Torah medical ethics if you're not educated as to what those ethics may include, or may not include? It's easy to guess as to how one's beliefs apply to one's medical practice, but it's always best to listen to those that are educated especially when it comes to something as important as Torah medical ethics.
There is no reason to forego education when it comes to Torah medical ethics. Today you have the option of attending lectures, of purchasing lectures and other materials online, and of listening to this information through recordings made available. There is no end to the amount of material available to those that are concerned with balancing their Torah medical ethics with their medical practice, and a wise physician would seek out this advice and be sure his or her choices are in harmony with that advice.
