Medical Ethics Advisor – June 1, 2009
June 1, 2009
View Issues
-
Ethics and the H1N1 flu: A wake-up call for policy makers?
The overriding ethical issue of a pandemic influenza â or any other health crisis involving a contagious disease â appears to be the dilemma of balancing public health vs. individual liberties. -
Baxter v. Montana seeks right to assisted suicide
Depending on the ultimate decision of the Montana Supreme Court in the case of Baxter v. Montana, the complex issue of assisted suicide ultimately could mean that Montana becomes the third state in the United States to allow for physician-assisted suicide, after Oregon and more recently, Washington state. -
Q&A with John D. Banja, PhD, on brain death
Banja: Here's a direction in the brain death debate that I think is most interesting: The Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Now, this act was passed in 1993 but in 1997 it was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. So, the act is no longer in effect. -
Oversight IRB helps resolve issues
Large research institutions can improve IRB consistency, education, and networking by establishing an oversight board that will bring IRB chairs together at committee meetings. -
Ethical use of emergency exceptions to consent
Is reluctance to permit exceptions from informed consent in emergency research (EICER) preventing important studies from moving forward? -
Issues in HH warrant HH-specific ethics committee
Are the medications safely out of reach of children? Can the family caregiver handle tasks required to care for the patient? Are family members following the wishes of the patient as indicated before he or she developed dementia? Is the patient safe in the home setting? Is the employee safe in the patient's home? -
Take the medical ethics discussion to the people
Medical ethics is not the typical topic of free community health discussions, but the staff at Winona Health's Senior Services, as well as staff at Home Care and Hospice in Winona, MN, have found a welcoming audience for the talk.