We feel strongly that our patients deserve the best possible care. To that end, we have developed a set of principles to guide our practice. We feel that it is our duty, to adopt such guidelines to protect our patients from the many harmful influences that can impede their care in today’s healthcare environment. The following standards define what we consider to be the essentials of honorable business conduct for physicians and other healthcare practitioners. we follow these principles and expect all of our employees to adopt similar standards. (Parts of this set of standards were adopted from American Medical Association’s “Principle of Medical Ethics”.) 

Please read the following principles that guide our practice of pain management. Sign a copy and return it to one of our office staff.

 Our Principles of Medical Practice 

1. A physician must be dedicated to providing competent medical services with compassion and respect for human   dignity. 

2. A physician shall openly tell the patient about appropriate treatment options, answer questions about medical risks and give the patient the current and accurate medical facts needed to make informed decisions about treatment. 

3. A physician shall provide patients with information about other physicians and medical resources when this will benefit the patients. 

4. A physician shall deal honestly with patients and colleagues, and strive to expose those physicians deficit in character or competence, or who engage in fraud or deception. 

5. A physician shall practice within the confines of the law; but shall also recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those laws that are contrary to the best interest of their patients. 

6. A physician shall respect the rights of patients, colleagues, and of other health professionals, and shall safeguard patient confidences within the constraints of the law. 

7. A physician shall respect the rights of patients, staff and colleagues to have an office environment free from sexual or racially motivated harassment. Any sexually oriented activity between the staff and patients in unethical and will not be tolerated. 

8. A physician shall care for patients without regard to sex, race, creed, color or sexual orientation. 

9. A physician shall continue to study, continually learning how to apply advanced scientific knowledge in the care of their patients. 

10. A physician shall, except in cases of emergency, be free to choose to whom they deliver medical services. 

11. A physician shall recognize their responsibility to participate in activities contributing to an improved community. 

12. A physician shall recognize their own responsibility to their own and to their own families’ physical, mental, and spiritual health. 

13. A physician shall at times, for personal renewal and/or profession education, need to be away from his practice. During this time the physician shall arrange for appropriate coverage for his patients. 

If you think that our physician or staff are not adhering to these principles, if there is any concern that you have not been treated with compassion, dignity, and respect or if you feel in any way harassed or subjected to unethical treatment please report your concerns to our practice manager, Johnnie Mullinax, immediately. 

Sign below to indicate that you have read the above and return the signed copy to one of our office staff. 

Signature:_________________________________________  Date:___________________________