AAN Ethics

The AAN offers several resources to help members deal with the ethical issues they confront in their practices, as well as help to educate the public about ethical issues in neurology.

AAN Ethics Resources

• Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee
• Charter, Organization, and Responsibilities
• AAN Award for Creative Expression of Human Values in Neurology (.pdf)
• Creative Expression Award Winners
• Ethics Section
• Purpose and Ethics ListServ
• AAN Code of Professional Conduct (.pdf)
• Outlines the standards of professional behavior for all AAN members in an effort to promote the highest quality of neurological care
• AAN Conflicts of Interest Policy (.pdf)
• Ethics Related Position Statements
• AAN has developed position statements on a variety of ethical issues to help guide neurologists and others in decision making
  Read the AAN Position Concerning Life-Sustaining Treatment.
  Read the AAN Policy on Consent Issues for the Administration of IV tPA.
• Neurologist-in-Training Clinical Ethics Elective (.pdf)
• Application (.pdf)
• Ethics Programs at the AAN Annual Meeting
• Ethics Course
• Ethics Curriculum
• The Case-Based Ethics Curriculum is designed to help prepare neurologists-in-training for the ethical issues that may confront them during their residencies and will confront them in their practice
• Principles Governing Academy Relationships with External Sources of Support (.pdf)
• Outlines the principles for appropriate development and utilization of external support
• Ethical Perspectives in Neurology
  • Current ethics-related articles from the pages of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology®
• AAN Disciplinary Action Policy (.pdf)

Ethics FAQ

Q: Does the Academy provide guidance on what constitutes ethical expert witness testimony?

A: Provision 6.4 of the American Academy of Neurology Code of Professional Conduct states, "The neurologist called upon to provide expert medical testimony should testify only about those subjects for which the neurologist is qualified as an expert by training and experience. Before giving testimony the neurologist should carefully review the relevant records and facts of the case and the prevailing standards of practice. In providing testimony, the neurologist should provide scientifically correct and clinically accurate opinions. Compensation for testimony should be reasonable and commensurate with time and effort spent, and must not be contingent upon outcome."

To further inform Academy members as to what constitutes ethical expert testimony, the Academy Board of Directors adopted the American Academy of Neurology Qualifications and Guidelines for the Physician Expert Witness in 2006.

Q: What is the Academy's position on neurologists participating in legally authorized executions?

A: The American Academy of Neurology opposes neurologist participation in legally authorized executions. See the American Academy of Neurology Code of Professional Conduct, 7.4 Prohibition Against Participating in Legally Authorized Executions.