doctor's workload. In other countries these certificates are only needed for longer periods of illness. In either case this can function can pose ethical problems for doctors as they try to reconcile a duty to do the best for the patient, a duty not to lie to employers, and the need to maintain the doctor patient relationship for professional and/or financial reasons.

Many people want information on patients' health, and are prepared to pay for it. Insurance companies, employers, social agencies such as the police and the courts and many