2004 Winner
- Dr Justin Oakley
- Director of the Centre for Human Bioethics
- Monash University
- Dr Steve Clarke
- Research Fellow, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics
- Australian National University and Charles Sturt University
Dr Steve Clark and Dr Justin Oakley’s research demonstrates how comparative information on the clinical performance of individual surgeons should be made available to patients as an ethical consideration, as part of the process of giving informed consent.
“This research reinforces moves to develop greater transparency in the field of health care in this country, a practice widely followed in the United Kingdom and the United States of America,” said Australian Catholic University (ACU National) Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Professor Gabrielle McMullen.
”Dr Oakley and Dr Clarke are promoting respect for patients’ autonomy, as well as professional accountability and transparency in the practice of health care.”
“When a patient consents to an operation they are relying on full disclosure of all foreseeable risks, and these risks will vary according to the level of ability of the available surgeons,” said Dr Oakley and Dr Clarke.
“Patients should be provided with the performance histories of the available doctors in order to understand properly the risks they are exposing themselves to when choosing to be operated on by a particular surgeon.”
