American Board of Pathology Statement about Certified Pathologists Promulgating Medical Disinformation

As physicians and board-certified pathologists, we have a public trust, a social contract with society. We must be accountable to patients, society, and the profession. Professionalism requires that we adhere to high standards, maintain competence, act with integrity, and provide expert advice to patients and society on matters of health. Intentional spread of health misinformation (including disinformation about COVID-19, vaccines, and treatment), ignoring or subverting science, and making unscientific claims undermine the public trust and jeopardize patient health.

The American Board of Pathology (ABPath) is committed to the application of evidence-based scientific knowledge and technology, to upholding scientific standards, to promoting research, and to creating new knowledge and ensuring its appropriate use.

We agree with the statement by the Federation of State Medical Boards that physicians “have an ethical and professional responsibility to practice medicine in the best interests of their patients and must share information that is factual, scientifically grounded and consensus-driven for the betterment of public health. Spreading inaccurate COVID-19 vaccine information contradicts that responsibility, threatens to erode public trust in the medical profession, and puts all patients at risk.”

Patients must be able to trust physicians with their lives and health.

The ABPath has adopted the AMA and AOA Code of Ethics, and the ABMS definition of Medical Professionalism as standards of conduct that define the essentials of ethical behavior for physicians.

 September 3, 2021