Medical Ethics Advisor – June 1, 2025

Should Hospitals Be Required to Continue Treatment When the Family Rejects Brain Death?

Even after families are told brain death is permanent and the patient is without hope for recovery, some distrust this information.

Researchers Have Unique Ethical Obligations in Early Phase Oncology Trials

Early phase oncology clinical trials demand a lot from participants but offer uncertain benefits in return.

Bioethicists Are Obtaining Additional Training to Benefit Their Institutions — and Careers

As the clinical ethics field continues to professionalize, some ethicists are seeking to differentiate themselves or advance their careers by obtaining additional education.

Emerging Ethical Dilemmas with Deep Brain Stimulation

For decades, deep brain stimulation devices have been used to treat neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. However, there are some ongoing — and emerging — ethical concerns with this technology.

Ethicists Can Counter Clinicians’ Perceptions of Consults as Unhelpful

Ethicists work hard to make sure that all stakeholders in complex cases are heard. Yet, when the consultation is completed, ethicists usually do not know how the clinical team feels about the process.

Ethical Concerns Raised by Surprising New Data on the Effect of the Revised Common Rule

The revised Common Rule (the U.S. Basic Federal Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects) was implemented in 2019 to enhance protections for human research subjects. Min-Fu Tsan, MD, PhD, wanted to know how well the revised Rule has achieved its stated goals.