U.S. health officials have proposed more discrimination protections for doctors declining to perform some procedures-those experiencing what is often referred to as a conflict of conscience.
But while the debate is often focused on abortion, Georgia State University associate law professor Leslie Wolf says conscientious objection also comes up in the context of life support decisions, at the pharmacy counter and in the family physician's office.
"There can be a tension between health professionals' beliefs and patient access to medical services," said Wolf, who specializes in health law and ethics.
The College of Law's Center for Law, Health & Society will host a lunchtime conference on the role of conscientious objection to exploring healthcare professionals' moral and ethical objections to certain practices and procedures.
The conference, "The Role of Conscience in the Practice of Medicine," will be held from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Senate Salon of the Georgia State University Student Center, 44 Courtland St., Atlanta.
Featured speakers will be Farr Curlin, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, and Martha Swartz, an attorney and adjunct professor of law at Rutgers School of Law-Camden.
What: The Role of Conscience in the Practice of Medicine
When: 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9
Where: Senate Salon, Georgia State University Student Center, 44 Courtland St., Atlanta