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WCM-Q’s Intersection of Law and Medicine series highlights legal, ethical perspectives in healthcare Local and international experts in medicine, law and academia gather to bridge the gap between law and medicine in patient care
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xperts have established that a synergy between legal practice and medicine is necessary for healthcare systems to operate seamlessly. Even as the healthcare sector experiences changes and reforms, the legal and ethical aspects of care must not be compromised so that people’s health is adequately taken care of. To bridge that gap, the Intersection of Law and Medicine series was started in 2015 by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) and in 2019, WCM-Q continued the series in collaboration with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) College of Law and Public Policy to improve the understanding of healthcare practitioners in Qatar about the legal aspects of the healthcare system, both locally and globally, and to enhance their role as physicians and advocates of their patients. The series brings together physicians and other healthcare professionals, lawyers, academics and ethicists in one space to discuss and create awareness about legal and ethical issues that impact the healthcare practitioners in Qatar. The meetings, which are convened three times a year, gather healthcare practitioners from government and private healthcare providers. It is worth noting that those who practice complementary and alternative forms of medicine are also involved in the forums. Coordinated and delivered by the Division for Continuing Professional Development at WCM-Q, the subjects covered so far include elderly care, mental health, telemedicine, ethical and legal challenges in healthcare, Islam and bioethics, and end-of-life care. Besides the locally renowned speakers, the program has hosted internationally renowned speakers who inform the participants of developments in the law and best practice. Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, Professor of Clinical Medicine and Vice Dean for Academic and Curricu-
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lar Affairs at WCM-Q said: “As healthcare practitioners, we realized that our relationship with the patient extends beyond just taking care of their disease. We must understand the context where they are coming from, the healthcare system, and legal and ethical aspects that would enhance the care of our patients. We need to know and understand the laws and how they impact our healthcare practice. Understanding both the ethical and legal perspectives will enhance the care of the patients and will enhance our roles as healthcare practitioners in advocating for our patients.” Dr. Thurayya Arayssi
THE SERIES BRINGS TOGETHER PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, LAWYERS, ACADEMICS AND ETHICISTS IN ONE SPACE TO DISCUSS AND CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS IN QATAR.
The Intersection of Law and Medicine series exists to ensure physicians and healthcare professionals are aware of the laws governing the practice of medicine in Qatar, it provides an opportunity for dialogue to examine the law on issues like legal protection for patients, medical malpractice and challenges with creating a universal understanding in a diverse healthcare workforce and patient base. Whilst rapid advances in medicine in areas such as artificial intelligence and stem cell research provide healthcare professionals with new opportunities for treating their patients, they present new ethical dilemmas which require robust legal and ethical frameworks to protect patients, practitioners and communities. Since Qatar’s healthcare sector is diverse, with healthcare professionals and patients from all over the world, a needs assessment was conducted to inform the design and development of the Law and Medicine series. Healthcare practitioners were surveyed in Qatar and the region to find out what their needs were, and the educational series was then designed based on these identified needs. This is also evident in the diversity of the speakers who come from different parts of the world, reflecting the diversity in Qatar. In addition, the speakers address not only
