Medical Ethics Advisor – February 1, 2009
February 1, 2009
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Should the ethics of vital organ donations be reconsidered?
"We contend that the proposition that brain death constitutes death of the human being is incoherent and, therefore, not credible." -
Why I choose to be involved in hospital ethics
(Editor's note: Medical Ethics Advisor will run monthly items on what leads people to become involved in their hospital ethics committee and/or choose to enter the profession of bioethics.) -
HHS issues guidance on antiviral drug use
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued its guidance on the use of antiviral drugs for pandemic influenza in December 2008, suggesting that health care workers and emergency services personnel who could have direct contact with individuals who are ill during a pandemic should be protected. -
Centralized IRB could guide research after disaster
Over the past decade, several large-scale disasters have tested emergency response teams and health care providers. They've also tested the research community's ability to quickly, efficiently, and ethically dispatch investigators to do vital research that could help prevent and respond to future disasters. -
IRBs can help bridge community-research gap
IRBs have an important role to play in improving community involvement in cancer clinical trials everything from increasing their own community membership to working with community advisory boards and pushing for more community-friendly informed consent. -
Involving the community in cancer clinical trials
More meaningfully involving communities especially minorities and other ethnic groups in clinical research isn't just good ethics it could help address underrecruitment and failure of cancer clinical trials, says one of the authors of a new report on the subject. -
Behavioral changes might be biggest challenge in '09
Change is never easy, but the toughest type of change is behavior or culture change within a hospice, says Susan Levitt, executive director of CNS Home Health and Hospice in Carol Stream, IL. -
Doctors' legal questions might result in patient pain
When treatment options dwindle or are exhausted, terminally ill patients often opt for pain management and comfort over life-extending therapies. -
Study indicates reasons for racial disparities
Investigators at the University of Pennsylvania in their study found that hospice services have restrictions that reduce usage by many patients who are most in need, particularly African-Americans, according to the American Cancer Society. -
Limits, disclosure avoid misunderstandings
Hospice nurses, aides, and therapists do a wonderful job caring for their patients, so it is natural that the patients and families want to thank them with gifts. -
Number of hospice patients grows by 3.8%
Recently released data reflecting 2007 usage of hospice indicates that 38.8% of all deaths in the United States were under the care of hospice, up from 35% the previous year. -
Advanced certification created for social workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) have created the advanced certified hospice and palliative social worker credential (ACHP-SW).