Medical Ethics Advisor – November 1, 2024

Bioethicists Identify Essential ‘Everyday Ethics’ Skills for Clinicians

Is there a heated conflict on whether to continue life-sustaining interventions for a patient at the end of life? Most clinicians probably would see the need for an ethics consult. On the other hand, clinicians are less likely to recognize many “everyday” issues as ethical dilemmas.

Requirements, Standards Vary for Clinical Ethics Fellowship Programs

Clinical ethics fellowships in the United States and Canada vary in some important ways, a recent study found.

Clinicians Are Turning to AI Tools for Help with Ethical Decisions

Artificial intelligence tools are used for many healthcare-related applications — but what about helping clinicians with ethically complex medical decisions?

Ethical Concerns with Large Language Models in Surgery

Large language models (LLMs) in surgery have the potential to enhance decision-making, documentation, and patient engagement. However, the body of literature addressing the ethical concerns of applying LLMs in surgical settings is relatively limited.

Ethical Debate over Research on Enhancement of Brain Function

Technology is advancing rapidly for enhancement of brain function in healthy people, but remains ethically controversial.

Ethical Concerns with Crowdfunding for Organ Transplantation

Even if insurance covers some or most of the cost of an organ transplant, recipients (and to a lesser extent, donors) can face a significant financial burden. Financial expenses surrounding organ transplantation are motivating some recipients to raise money through medical crowdfunding.

Implementation Research Raises Unique Ethical Questions

Implementation research improves the adoption of evidence-based interventions in actual clinical practice. Lack of guidance from existing ethics frameworks makes it difficult for implementation science researchers to anticipate what will be ethically problematic.

Ethics of Informed Consent for Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Studies

Randomized comparative effectiveness studies often compare treatments within the standard of care to determine which is better for patients. When research and clinical care are combined in this way, healthcare providers can be confused about what is required in terms of obtaining consent for enrollment in the research study.

Clinicians Reach Out to Both Chaplains and Ethicists

Ethicists can take the opportunity to partner with chaplains when meeting with families or caregivers to listen, explore, and support.

Ethical Approaches Can Protect Patients from Financial Harm

When patients cannot afford medications, clinicians face a challenging ethical dilemma.