Sure, some of the best corporate ethics programs in the country were spurred by federal and state investigations. Sure, Tenet Healthcare's toll-free ethics number receives more than 500 calls monthly. We expect integrity and honesty from business, and if we get less, there's always the Office of the Inspector General, or the New York Times or Oprah Winfrey. We know that the doctor-patient relationship often means more to doctors than to patients. But managed care asks doctors to have relationships with patient panels.
Business ethics is also about relationships.
Businesspeople do what they do because of what customers do for them. The principles of medical ethics are sharp, effective instruments that every doctor can use. The principles of business ethics are also sharp and effective, and equally powerful. These two sets of principles are not so far apart. John La Puma practices internal medicine at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove, Ill., and is a Chicago-based speaker and educator.