Medical Ethics Advisor – October 1, 2007
October 1, 2007
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Before evaluating its performance, measure ethics committee's standing
Before an ethics committee takes the time and effort to evaluate its performance, the members might want to step back and examine its standing within the institution. -
Is TV promoting fears about organ and tissue donation?
Families who balk at organ donation when faced with the death of a loved one may have been influenced by inaccurate portrayals of organ donation in television programs, Purdue University researchers suggest. -
New hope for minimally conscious patients
The outlook for patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS) may have new potential, according to a team of physicians, scientists, and ethicists who used deep brain stimulation (DBS) to improve function in a man's still-responsive brain networks. -
Telling pediatric patients when they are obese
Tip-toeing around the issue of childhood obesity does more harm than good, an expert panel of pediatric health professionals has decided, so doctors should stop using terms like "at risk of overweight" and instead tell parents clearly when their children are overweight or obese. -
No-consent study raises concern over patient rights
Health care providers are watching cautiously as the federal government undertakes an ambitious $50 million, five-year research project that will employ a controversial arrangement that avoids the traditional informed consent process. -
Fears of stigma keep HIV patients from getting care
The mere perception that a physician is stigmatizing patients for carrying the AIDS virus can discourage HIV-infected people from seeking proper medical care, according to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles. -
Religion a factor in referring to psychiatrist
Religion — or lack of religious beliefs — is a factor in the choice of psychiatry as a profession and in whether some physicians refer their patients to psychiatrists, according to a physician who has undertaken research on medicine and religious beliefs.