Doctor-patient relationship in consultation reports sent to the Regional Medicine Council

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate, in the context of bioethics, the frequency and characteristics of the opinion-consultations of the Conselho Regional de Medicina (Regional Medicine Council) of the state of São Paulo concerning the doctor-patient relationship. The sample was based on the opinion-consultations published on the Regional Council website relating to the descriptors “doctor-patient relationship”, “bioethics – bioethic – bioethical” and “medical ethics”. The total number of opinion-consultations identified was 5,012, of which 2,717 (54.2%) were related to the descriptor “medical ethics”, 111 (2.21%) were related to the descriptors “bioethics – bioethic – bioethical” and 163 (3.25%) were related to the descriptor “doctor-patient relationship”. It was concluded that the frequency of opinion-consultations related to bioethics and the doctor-patient relationship is relatively small when compared to thenumber of opinion-consultations related to medical ethics, and that there is a predominance of deontological and administrative aspects in the opinion-consultations focused on the doctor-patient relationship, in comparison with bioethic aspects. In addition, the opinion-consultations and publications of this Regional Council influenced Conselho Federal de Medicina (Federal Council of Medicine) resolutions and the updating of the Code of Medical Ethics.