Abstract

The 2016 edition of the Singapore Medical Council’s Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines and its accompanying resource document The Handbook of Medical Ethics were released in September 2016. In the intervening period since the 2002 edition, medical practice has seen advancing technologies and many innovative treatments. New communication technologies allow for varied modes of patient-doctor interactions and for information on doctors’ services to be easily publicised. There are also new organisational and business models as medical practice becomes more commercialised. Some areas of practice, such as end-of-life care, telemedicine, aesthetic practices and the increasing popularity of various complementary and alternative practices, have grown in significance. Patients need to be assured that their best interests continue to be protected in these areas, as with others. This article highlights some of the key features and updates of the 2016 ECEG and illustrates how a fine balance has been struck between protecting patients’ interests while being fair to doctors in an increasingly complex practice milieu.