With the growth of AI in recent years, the issue of misconduct in medical ethics has expanded to focus on fraud, integrity, data manipulation, privacy violations and conflicts of interest. There are emerging concerns regarding data integrity, especially in the biomedical research field. As a result, the medical field has seen a number of recently retracted major papers. Concerns are growing that AI can generate or manipulate both research data and research discourse. With expanding AI tools, there has been large-scale, sophisticated manipulation of special medical issues through the use of paper mills to bombard research arenas with false information. The intense pressure to publish in academia has driven researchers to engage in unethical practices while writing and researching. The use of new technologies, such as the introduction of telemedicine in diagnosis and treatment, can compromise quality of care. There have been surges in reports that online physicians are disseminating incorrect information.
Traditional malfeasance issues are also on the rise. Allegations of sexual abuse, opioid overprescription, and harmful unnecessary procedures continue to dominate as medicine’s challenges. Underreporting of misconduct remains a concern. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rise in missed screenings and delayed diagnoses resulting in adverse patient outcomes. Conflicts of interest linked to financial benefit, and lack of appropriate disclosure, remain significant problems.
Addressing these trends, ethicists cite the need to strengthen research integrity policies, inquiry processes and appeal procedures. There are increased calls to promote transparency into research methodology and share data to deter misconduct. Ethicists continue to recommend in-patient medical interaction and better provider-patient communication. Moreover, reporting of abuses in medicine must improve through education and communication.