Abstract

In this paper I propose that the special duty of care present in the doctor-patient relationship is passed along the chain of professionals involved in modern healthcare. A chain of duty arises from knowledge of intended use and requires a system of trust between patient, doctor and non-clinical professionals. The first part of the paper introduces the concepts of duty of care and the requirement for trustworthiness in medical ethics, and extends these, via chains of duty and chains of trust, to non-clinical professions. The second part demonstrates the application of this in one field of information management in healthcare: decision support systems.