Medical Ethics Advisor – January 1, 2017
January 1, 2017
View Issues
-
Better Communication with Family in ICU Reduces Intensity of End-of-life Care
Palliative care physicians acting as communication facilitators in the ICU reduced intensity of end-of-life care and length of stay, found a recent study.
-
Study Uncovers Deep-rooted Stigma About Palliative Care
There is a very strong stigma attached to palliative care — and it can persist even after positive experiences with an early palliative care intervention, found a recent study.
-
Study: Social Media is Affecting Patients’ Access to Investigational Drugs
Patients and families are increasingly turning to social media to facilitate expanded access to unproven drugs, raising many ethical concerns.
-
Ethics of Gene-altering Research on Human Embryos
Gene editing technology uses an adaptive defense mechanism from bacteria for a novel new purpose: the precise editing of isolated genetic defects in DNA.
-
Teleconsent Boosts Recruitment of Rural Research Participants
One barrier to recruitment of qualified research participants for clinical trials is the cumbersome, time-consuming consent process. Another is the lack of access to participants in remote locations.
-
Analysis Looks at the First Open Payments Data
Industry payments to physicians varied widely by specialty during the first half-year of The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Open Payments program, found a recent study.
-
Human Trafficking Training is an Ethical Concern
There’s a clear need for medical students, residents, and healthcare providers across disciplines to be informed on human trafficking, but there are no formal requirements for psychiatrists to be educated on this, a recent paper concluded.
-
Report: Family Caregivers Often Unprepared
A diverse group of family caregivers in New York participating in discussion groups in 2015 reported feeling unprepared for the complex medical and nursing tasks they were expected to perform at home for their family member, according to a recent report.
-
Digital Pills Raise Informed Consent, Privacy Concerns
The FDA recently declined approval of what would have been the first mass-marketed drug to include an ingestible sensor.