Ethics for medical group managers:  patient-centered or bottom-line?
Many physicians hire financial directors and accountants to manage their bottom line.  While most of us had courses in financial and operations management, ethics was not a major part of the curriculum.  This professional paper will define several ethical theories.  After applying these to three moral issues--marketing, fee setting and rationing--it will outline a values clarification plan and finally will conclude by providing a framework for making moral decisions, realizing, of course, that the study of ethics offers no right or wrong responses.
Watson
C G
CG
Chattanooga Heart Institute, Tennessee 37404.
D000329:Advertising; D004989:Ethics; D005249:Fees and Charges; D006123:Group Practice; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D009817:Office Management; D014481:United States