Declaration of Lisbon 1981

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THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION DECLARATION OF LISBON
ON THE RIGHTS OF THE PATIENTS
Adopted by the 34th
World Medical Assembly, Lisbon, Portugal, September/October 1981
Recognizing that there may be practical, ethical or legal difficulties, a physician should always act
according to his/her conscience and always in the best interest of the patient. The following
Declaration represents some of the principal rights which the medical profession seeks to provide to
patients.
Whenever legislation or government action denies these rights of the patient, physicians should seek
by appropriate means to assure or to restore them.
a) The patient has the right to choose his physician freely.
b) The patient has the right to be cared for by a physician who is free to make clinical and
ethical judgements without any outside interference.
c) The patient has the right to accept or to refuse treatment after receiving adequate
information.
d) The patient has the right to expect that his physician will respect the confidential nature of
all his medical and personal details.
e) The patient has the right to die in dignity.
f) The patient has the right to receive or to decline spiritual and moral comfort including the
help of a minister of an appropriate religion.
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