Implications of the concept of the standard of care on self-regulation and medical ethics based on medical regulation

Abstract

Self-regulation has a long tradition in countries such as Germany. In healthcare, a professional level of quality is known as the standard of care, but the concept is not defined by law. In practice, this concept has developed into physician self-regulation. In addition, a normative judgment about the medical standard can be understood as a concept developed by precedent related to medical malpractice cases. The law functions reactively rather than proactively. However, clinical ethics has a wider scope within the legal field than simply the corrective function of medical liability. This study focuses on a legal approach to self-regulation, the normative concept of medical standards in legal criteria, and its requirement. Regarding civil responsibility, the paper reviews an assessment of autonomy in the determination of the medical standard. In comparison to the disciplinary system of Germany's criminal law, the offenses of doctors under Korean law is considerably below the international standards for self-regulation. In fact, discipline for malpractice is effectively regulated by the state. Therefore, when doctors take an ethical approach, it can help protect patients and at the same time raise a sense of professional responsibility. This plays an important role in the complementary relationship between medical ethics as a preventive function and the standard of care or practice standards as a part of self-regulation. In conclusion, self-regulation can have a much more effective and positive impact on relationships between the patient and the doctor and strengthen preventive measures for the patient's safety within medical regulation.