- The absence in the training of doctors generates the improper exercise of the profession.
- On the other hand, when it exists, the chances of making mistakes with patients are reduced.
- Continuing medical education should not be seen as a certification requirement but as a tool to update knowledge.
If something characterizes all health professionals, it is that they must always be constantly updated. The age of the person does not matter because knowledge is never enough and new things appear every day. For the same, the continuing medical education You must prevail for your own well-being and also for that of the patients.
When dictating the inaugural conference of the cycle of conferences Ethical Reasoning in Medicine, “Legal compliance and respect for ethical principles in health institutions”, the director of the Faculty of Medicine of the UNAM, Germán Fajardo Dolci, indicated that it is about professional action that has legal recognition. When reference is made to fulfillment or compliance “we must speak of legal compliance for prevention, care and health rehabilitation”.
It is an interaction that includes ethical and moral principles. The legal framework of medical practice is regulated by the Constitution, laws, regulations and institutional norms.
What is the role of continuing medical education?
According to the training and updating of professionals in the field, pointed out that it is a personal need, whoever has the vocation to be a doctor carries in their DNA the record of continuous training. Although there are certification instances that are responsible for verifying that this happens, it is something that we medical professionals intrinsically bring.
Beyond legal compliance and ethics, the provision of services and, with it, medical care, is probably the most regulated industry in the world. The laws, regulations and constitutional norms are fundamental components that guarantee its quality, patient safety and the strengthening of institutions.
In the Raoul Fournier auditorium of that academic entity, Fajardo Dolci highlighted that legal compliance and respect for ethical principles in health institutions constitute a tool for patient care, known as compliance. That is, the implementation of a policy and procedure compliance program that allows the detection, mitigation, prevention and monitoring of systems and behaviors to guarantee compliance with the federal and state laws that govern, in this case, a medical institution.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Council of Ethics and Transparency of the Pharmaceutical Industry (CETIFARMA), progress has been made. It is an issue that we doctors must work on alongside associations, academies, societies and the guild as a whole”.
Before the SUHFECIM coordinator, Ana Rosa Barahona Echeverría, Fajardo Dolci commented that uncorrected misconduct can seriously endanger the mission and doctor’s reputation, but also the legal status of the hospital. The important thing is to prevent.
“Whoever is in charge of establishing compliance in health institutions, whether it is a committee, subcommittee or group of advisors, must analyze the environment of these organizations, the legal requirements to be met and the specific risk areas; evaluate existing policies, procedures, and standards, and model a strategy for dealing with complaints, reports, and training. Hospitals should have groups of external lawyers who advise the medical area on updates to laws, regulations or standards”.
In the event of an error, complaint or complaint, the mechanism for its presentation must be clearly established, if necessary anonymously; detect and verify it; provide ethical and legal advice to those who express it; establish the prevention route for future events, and supervise the effectiveness of the measures applied. This will help the hospital fulfill its mission and identify weaknesses within the system itself, as well as demonstrate to employees and patients the institution’s commitment to honest and responsible conduct, among other actions.