Why An Upgraded Hippocratic Oath Is Needed In The Digital Era

Download the Hippocratic Oath 2.0 The Hippocratic Oath is the most famous text in Western medicine and constitutes the ethical basis of the medical profession. For centuries, it has provided an overview of the principles of this noble mission and doctors’ professional behavior. At the dawn of a new era in medicine, it is high time to rewrite the Oath so that it would reflect the state of technological development, changes in social structures and in general, the requirements of the 21st century. The Hippocratic Oath in historical perspective The medical profession adopted the Oath of Hippocrates as its ethical code of conduct centuries ago, but it’s still being used today by many medical schools at graduation ceremonies. That’s not mere chance. The text articulates perfectly what the noble profession of being a doctor entails and in a compact overview takes a side in every major ethical issue a physician might encounter during their career. Only a few know that although the oath bears the name of Hippocrates, the well-known Greek physician, there is no evidence that he wrote it. It is claimed that the document was created 100 years after his death. Some 2500 years ago. Rachel Hajar in her study on the historical perspectives of medical oaths says that in 1500, a German medical school (University of Wittenberg) introduced taking the oath for its graduating medical students. However, it was not until the 1700s, when the document was translated into English that Western me...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Bioethics Future of Medicine Medical Education code of conduct digital health Healthcare hippocratic oath med student MedEd technology Source Type: blogs