Administrative ethics and conflicts of interest

A great deal of healthcare management literature and an increasing amount of newspaper coverage are dealing with the subject of ethics. However, most of this attention is directed at clinical ethics. At the same time, the media have regularly covered alleged scandal or inappropriate behaviour by public officials in all walks of public life. Canadian healthcare executives will undoubtedly become more engrossed in the issue of ethics than ever before. It is both timely and essential for executives and their Boards to address these concerns squarely and develop ethically based policies and procedures for conflicts of interest.