The responsible family physician: rule bound or risk-taking?

Moral philosophy is often more frustrating than helpful to family physicians who come to it seeking solutions to the everyday moral dilemmas that their practices present. Continuity of care and comprehensive care are features of family medicine that require the nurturing of close doctor-patient relationships. They also present family physicians with unique moral dilemmas which require decision and action with insufficient information or time to apply the careful thought associated with moral philosophy. Decisions can often be made only on the basis of the personal and professional relationships existing between doctor and patient. There is a rigor and legitimacy to this process that better reflects the process of moral decision-making in family medicine than does that of traditional moral philosophy.