AMA Code of Medical Ethics’ Opinions Related to Health Care Waste
AMA Journal of Ethics
Oct 3, 2022
In the discussion of waste and the health care system, co-authored Danielle Chaet, MSB, material waste (such as infectious waste, sharps, and general waste) is only one part of the ethical issue; the other part is the waste of health care resources. Currently, an estimated 25% of annual spending in the US health care industry is wasted. Physicians therefore ought to act collectively to advocate for reforms to the administrative and pricing structures of the health care industry so as to reduce this waste, ameliorate financial obstacles, and responsibly steward scarce resources in a way that best serves patient needs. Read article>>