Ms Sara Attinger1,2
1Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
2Sydney Health Ethics, University of Sydney
Over the past few decades, assisted reproductive treatment (ART) in Australia has become an industry dominated by large corporate clinics and fertility groups, some of which are held by private equity and some of which are publicly listed. Processes of ‘corporatisation’ have led to profound changes in the structures, roles and relationships that shape the delivery of ART. While the doctor-patient relationship remains the focus of regulation and ethical consideration, the interaction between the corporate clinic and the consumer/patient is also morally significant. Bioethicists have expressed discomfort about the apparent conflict between the corporation’s duty to its shareholders, the medical profession’s duty to their patients, and the provision of health care as a social good. While the ethical obligations of corporations have been considered with reference to business ethics, corporate governance and social responsibility, there is a need to better understand this organisational perspective and the impacts of a clinic-patient relationship on the doctor-patient relationship and patient care. In this presentation, we critically examine the ethical implications of the clinic as mediator of the doctor-patient relationship, drawing upon principles of business ethics and bioethics. We examine corporate strategies being deployed in ART service provision and suggest that, while they may represent ‘good’ corporate governance, they are not necessarily ‘good’ for patient care. We consider whether an interdisciplinary approach to corporate governance might mitigate this tension, and what the alternatives might be.
Biography:
Sara Attinger is a research assistant in the Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney and in the Department of Philosophy, Macquarie University. Sara has previously worked in the private and public sector in legal, corporate and commercial roles.