Medical Ethics Advisor – January 1, 2025

How Does Your Ethics Program Compare? New Ways to Obtain Benchmarking Data

To improve, ethics programs need to know how they compare to other ethics programs. However, a lack of benchmarking data in the bioethics field remains a frustrating obstacle.

New Data on Brain-Injured Patients Are ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Clinical Ethicists

Some ethics consultations involve brain-injured patients who are unresponsive, and contain discussions center around withdrawing life-sustaining interventions. At least for some of those patients, there may be more hope for recovery than previously was believed to be the case, a recent study suggests.

Ethicists Are Finding Ways to Assist in Outpatient Settings

As hospitals continue to merge and expand their geographic footprint, ethicists must meet the needs of clinicians at all those care settings.

Ethicists Expand Footprint with Bioethics Ambassador Program

As Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center grew from a single campus in Manhattan to more than 12 outpatient care centers throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs, ethicists saw the need for an expanded presence. To create a cadre of local clinicians with knowledge in addressing common ethical issues that arise in cancer care, the MSK Ethics Committee created a Bioethics Ambassador Program.

Ethicists Make Changes to Improve Consult Documentation

When clinical ethicists provide guidance to resolve a healthcare ethics question, they are making recommendations about a patient’s clinical care. A Veterans Health Administration National Center for Ethics in Health Care Improvement Team set out to make ethics documentation easier, while still maintaining high quality standards.

Recommendations for Bioethics Programs on Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

Bioethics programs are recognizing the need to prioritize racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. However, some struggle with the best way to make progress.

Ethical Considerations with End-of-Life Care for Immigrant Patients

What is a “good death?” The definition is unique to each individual patient.

Many Ethical Questions if Psychiatric Patient Is Boarded in the ED

Psychiatric patients are routinely boarded in emergency departments for hours or even days, raising significant safety issues. There is growing concern about the ethical implications of this controversial practice.

Ethical Controversy Persists Regarding Pelvic Exams on Anesthetized Patients

Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services mandated written consent for pelvic exams under anesthesia. Researchers decided to conduct a study to look specifically at the issue of consent involving exams under anesthesia.

Informed Consent Is Ethical Concern with Digital Health Research

Technologies such as wearable fitness trackers and home-based air sensors are increasingly being used to collect research participant data. This poses some new ethical challenges for researchers.

Nursing-Focused Ethics Education Is in High Demand

Nurses spend more time with patients and families than other healthcare providers. “Yet, they do not always have the greatest authority and power. This means that they can experience ethical challenges and burdens in a different way to other healthcare professionals,” says Georgina Morley, PhD, MSc, RN, HEC-C, director of the Nursing Ethics Program at the Cleveland Clinic.