The Physician in Flight: The Moral and Legal Responsibilities of Physicians When Present for In-Flight Medical Emergencies

Abstract

A physician boards the plane and sits down. Does that physician face risk beyond a plane crash? If there is a medical emergency in-flight, does the physician face moral/ethical/legal risk by acts of commission or omission in relation to the medical emergency? That may depend on whether the flight is within the United States or is an international flight. This uncertainty prompts the question: Do we need broader coverage for physicians in-flight and would legislation similar to the on-the-ground Good Samaritan law protect physicians who are passengers on a plane?