Medical Ethics Advisor – April 1, 2016
April 1, 2016
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The Highs and the Lows
The US has more than double the number of ICU admissions of other countries but has fewer in-hospital deaths.
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Is family “waiting for a miracle,” yet aggressive care is inappropriate?
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on the role of chaplains in the hospital setting. In this story, we explore how chaplains can help to resolve conflicts over whether to withdraw life-sustaining interventions. Next month, we’ll report on how chaplains and ethicists can work together to ensure ethical care.
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New data on moral distress in the ED
ED nurses participating in focus groups described a profound feeling of not being able to provide patient care as they wanted, a recent study reported.
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Do substance abusers have capacity to consent to participate in research?
When researchers assessed the capacity of addicted individuals to provide consent to research, they found that about two-thirds of participants had decisional capacity.
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Cost-saving effect of palliative care larger for patients with comorbidities
Cost savings linked to palliative care consultations were greater for adults with advanced cancer with higher numbers of comorbidities, according to a recent study.
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Program offers tools, training for more ethical end-of-life care
Patients whose clinicians were trained in the use of a Serious Illness Conversation Guide were much more likely to have more comprehensive documentation in the electronic medical record of their goals, values and priorities.