Medical Ethics Advisor – November 1, 2014
November 1, 2014
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Coverage of brain-dead patient on life support: "Profound lack of understanding about the concept of death"
The widely publicized case of Jahi McMath, a California teenager who remains on life support after being declared brain dead, has generated a great deal of discussion on end-of-life issues, -
Too often, patients not given culturally competent care
When the family of an elderly Chinese patient insisted she not be told about her diagnosis of metastatic cancer, her physician felt he had an obligation to inform the patient. -
Nurses have much to offer with end-of-life care — but are often left out of discussions
Nurses are often the health care providers who know the most about a patient’s wishes for end-of-life care, but are sometimes left out of such discussions. -
Patients’ right not to know genetic screening results presents ethical challenges
Providers and researchers are increasingly faced with a difficult decision: Should they inform patients of genetic screening results, when patients did not specifically request such results? -
Incorporate ethics in all stages of neuroscience research: Avoid damaging ethical lapses
Institutions that fund or conduct neuroscience research should incorporate ethical considerations into all stages of the process, according to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues’ April 2014 report, Gray Matters, Integrative Approaches for Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society. -
VA scandal may do harm to patient-physician relationships
The Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospitals scandal, which involved unduly long delays in getting doctors’ appointments that jeopardized veterans’ health, “inevitably erodes trust by patients in individual providers as well as our system of health care.