Whether a reaction to events in the clinical arena, a consequence of technological innovation, or the legitimization of the marked ethos in health care, the field of medical ethics has become a complex domain in our time. Indeed, the ubiquity of ethical dilemmas in the provision of health care is well documented with more than 99% of primary care physicians reporting ethical problems arising in the conduct of their practices (1-3). Although commentary relating to this domain has most often originated in the primary care setting, hospital-based medicine and its ethics committees are another fertile source, as is medical research. Yet when one examines subspecialty medicine, a remarkable dearth of analysis and discourse pertaining to medical ethics emerges. This discussion is an attempt to address this deficit, at least as it pertains to one subspecialty: rheumatology. Leading with a brief overview of medical ethics writ large, perceptions concerning the ethical challenges arising in current rheumatic disease practice will be presented, hopefully enhancing awareness and sensitivity to the ethical challenges arising in modern day medical practice.
