Medical Ethics Advisor – August 1, 2004

August 1, 2004

• Class action lawsuit misses mark, say not-for-profit hospitals

  Mississippi attorney Richard Scruggs has targeted not-for-profit hospitals in his latest class action effort, accusing them of overcharging uninsured patients and using harassment to collect overdue bills.

  Read more about Class action lawsuit misses mark, say not-for-profit hospitals - Medical Ethics Advisor – August 1, 2004

• Public programs crowd out private insurance

  Expansions in public health insurance programs are designed to offer a safety net to vulnerable Americans unable to obtain basic health insurance and regular access to medical care.

  Read more about Public programs crowd out private insurance - Medical Ethics Advisor – August 1, 2004

• Medical research lacks female participants

  Patients who participate in clinical trials not only have access to newer, experimental treatments, they also have access to more routine medical checkups and state-of-the-art technologies. Yet for many women, participation in medical research studies is still not an option.

  Read more about Medical research lacks female participants - Medical Ethics Advisor – August 1, 2004

• Some journals fail to enforce disclosures

  Several leading medical and science journals fail to enforce their own policies for disclosing financial conflicts of interest among contributing authors, according to a study released July 12 by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

  Read more about Some journals fail to enforce disclosures - Medical Ethics Advisor – August 1, 2004