Medical Ethics Advisor – July 1, 2020
July 1, 2020
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Massive Switch to Telehealth Is ‘Unparalleled Opportunity’ to Examine Ethics
The sudden and explosive growth of telehealth during COVID-19 demanded sorting out all kinds of logistics, reimbursement, and scheduling processes in short order. The frantic time frames to set it up did not exactly allow for careful ethical reflection.
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Sharply Divided (and Evolving) Views on Vaccine Refusers
As the world anxiously awaits a vaccine for COVID-19, an ethical debate rages over whether people should be allowed to refuse it.
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Public Health Nurses Share Views on Vaccine Education
Debates on how to best respond to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infections continue. Opinions about mandating vaccines, including if, how, and when, vary widely.
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Ethical Principles Apply to Furloughs and Layoffs
Many hospitals are making tough financial decisions on staffing. Ethical considerations may be overlooked in the process.
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Burnout Prevention Is Central Ethical Concern for Hospitals
Hospitals are facing an immediate ethical challenge to restore the mental health and wellness of clinical staff. This varies greatly from hospital to hospital. Some have done a lot of work around this area, while others have not focused on it as much. Above all, hospitals need to maintain clear lines of communication with staff about the situation.
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Patients Want to Know if Treatment Is No Better than Placebo
Many patients may be surprised to find out the treatment they are taking is not any better than a placebo. Clinicians may think this is no big deal, as long as the person is feeling better and is grateful.
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Survey: Nurses Say They Lack Direct Role in Informed Consent
Researchers interviewed 20 registered nurses from various clinical settings at a large academic medical center. All but one agreed patient safety is directly linked to how well patients understand informed consent.
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Some Hospitalized Patients Admitted to ICU, Contrary to Stated Wishes
Research has demonstrated that completed Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms can help people with chronic illness avoid unwanted hospitalizations and CPR. However, there is more to learn about what happens when patients with POLST forms are admitted to the hospital near the end of life.
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Many Hospitals Lacked Ventilator Triage Policies When COVID-19 Pandemic Hit
More than half of institutions did not have ventilator triage policies in place when the pandemic arrived, according to the authors of a study.
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Ethical Processes Needed When Patients Ask to Stop Left Ventricular Assist Devices
Of patients with left ventricular assist devices, about half end up deciding to withdraw them. Investigators noticed that when the patient was the one making the request, the entire decision-making process seemed to take longer.