Ethics in conflict: yesterday's standards-outdated guide for tomarrow?

Health care today is influenced by government controls, consumerism, malpractice litigation, unionism, and professionalism. Are there universal standards the serious health professional can or must accept, or should he formulate his own? In this paper, the sources of ethical criteria for occupational therapy are reviewed and assessed. It is recommended that a code of ethics for today be formulated for occupational therapy using the ethical principles proposed in this paper.