Canada
Yukon Medical Council
Policies & statements relevant to freedom of conscience
Moral or Religious Beliefs Affecting Medical Care
(1) A physician must communicate clearly and promptly about any
treatments or procedures the physician chooses not to provide because of his
or her moral or religious beliefs.
(2) A physician must not withhold information about the existence of a
procedure or treatment because providing that procedure or giving advice
about it conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs.
(3) A physician must not promote their own moral or religious beliefs
when interacting with patients.
(4) When moral or religious beliefs prevent a physician from providing or
offering access to information about a legally available medical or surgical
treatment or service, that physician must ensure that the patient who seeks
such advice or medical care is offered timely access to another physician or
resource that will provide accurate information about all available medical
options.
- Terms used in the Standards of Practice:
- "Physician" means any person who is registered or who is
required to be registered under the Medical Profession Act.
- "Must" refers to a mandatory requirement.
- "May" means that the physician may exercise reasonable
discretion.
- "Patient" includes, where applicable, the patient’s legal
guardian or substitute decision maker.
Project Annotations
The policy recognizes an important distinction between providing information and providing or
facilitating a morally contested service or
procedure. The former is required; the latter is not.
Physicians are expected to provide information
necessary to satisfy the requirements of informed
medical decision making, such as prognosis, the
treatments or procedures available, benefits and
burdens of treatment, risks, etc. Objecting physicians are normally willing to provide this information.
Only if a physician is unwilling to provide this information is an offer of "timely access" to another physician or resource required. In that case, the physician is required to provide timely access to someone who can provide the necessary information, which may or may not be someone able and willing to provide the procedure itself.