AbstractBackground: Over the years, medical professionals who once enjoyed the immunity from litigations and accountability in the court of law have found themselves in the crosshairs of the judicial system. The doctors have become service providers and their patients consumers. Medical Council of India, the statutory body governing the medical profession in India, has laid down certain guidelines for the medical professionals to follow. This study endeavored to assess the level of awareness of various ethical and legal issues and code of conduct amongst medical professionals (including general practitioners to various specialists) Material and Method: The study was conducted in the geographical region of Indore city for a period of one month from 1 Nov 2009- 30 Nov 2009. A total of 75 physicians, including general practitioners, specialists of various specialties practicing in Indore were selected using Radiant Medical Directory and were given a standardized questionnaire to answer. Results: 52.91% subjects answered correctly in the range of 65-80%, whereas 33.82% answered 45-60% answers correctly. A need was felt to enhance the awareness of finer aspects of medicolegal issues.
Key Words: Ethics; Medical Council of India; Code of Conduct; Medico-legal.