Essentials of ethics in clinical practice: a communications perspective

A knowledge of ethics and communication skills is essential to professional practice, just as it is essential to treatment techniques in the clinical application of physical therapy. Ethics has personal, professional and legal implications which, if neglected, may result in adverse consequences for both the clinician and the patient. The purpose of this paper is to outline four practical ethical doctrines and their import on clinical practice. The emphasis is on communication. Improvement in technical, clinical and research expertise is a continuing objective in the development of Canadian physical therapy. The maintenance of a parallel focus on human needs and values, along with ethics and interpersonal communication skills, serves to enhance the image of physical therapy as an holistic and caring profession.