Telemedicine, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in the new Code of Medical Ethics
The General Assembly of the General Council of Official Colleges of Physicians of Spain (CGCOM), has presented in the Congress of Deputies the new Code of Medical Ethics, in an event held on March 31 that has had the participation José Manuel Miñones, new Minister of Health, Ana Pastor, second vice president of the lower house, Rosa Romero, president of the Health Commission of that same chamber, the Dr. Tomás Cobo, president of the General Council of Physicians, Dr. José María Domínguez RoldánHTMLTAG29___ president of the Central Commission of Deontology CGCOM, Carina Escobar president of the Platform of Patient Organizations and Antoni Lorenzo, president of the Spanish Patient Forum.
This new text replaces the one approved in 2011, and places at the forefront in the world of medical deontology, since in addition to being based on universal principles of Medicine and align with the texts that constitute the essence of the medical profession in the world (the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association, approved in October 2022, and the Geneva declaration of 1948 and the Helsinki declaration of 1964), this new code includes hitherto unpublished areas with the aim of adapting to the social and scientific changes of recent years.
The new Code of Ethics has been created through a process of democratic and extensive deliberation and discussion of the General Assembly of the General Council of Official Medical Colleges that was paralyzed during the pandemic and resumed at the beginning of 2022. A project led by the Central Deontology Commission of the CGCOM and that has had the participation of all the Medical Colleges of Spain.
Among the most notable modifications include articles that refer to patient safety (Chapter telemedicine, to information and communication technologies (ICT), (Chapter XXIII, articles 80 to 83), to artificial intelligence (AI) and to large databases sanitary (Chapter XXIV, articles 84 to 86).
Dr. Tomas Cobo has highlighted that “this new Code is aligned with the three universal principles that medicine recognizes today: the principle of primacy of the patient's well-being, the principle of patient autonomy and the principle of justice social”.
A worldwide reference, is the most notable premise regarding the content of this new Code, according to the opinion of international experts.“I am sure that many other countries will use it since it is important that we share the same ethical principles in all languages and in all places in the world” this is how Dr. Frank Montgomery, president of the Council of the World Medical Association (WMA). “This is clearly a progressive, inclusive and pragmatic Code, and I believe that it conforms to the Aristotelian definition of the essence of medical ethics, which is nothing other than serving the well-being of human beings”, has described Vassilios Papalois, president of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).
From objective is none other than to preserve the life and dignity of people.
