Ethics in primary care: setting aside common misunderstandings.

Ethics, as generally defined, tries to answer the question, "What ought to be done in a given situation, all things considered?" Answering this question in primary care is hampered by some common and recurring misunderstandings--some arising from physicians' misunderstanding of ethical concepts and vocabulary and some arising from ethicists' misplaced emphasis and ignorance of medical settings. Examination and clarification of these misunderstandings illuminate the nature of primary care ethics and the role of the practicing physician.