Medical Ethics Advisor – February 1, 2021
February 1, 2021
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Policy on Inappropriate Treatment Used in 25% of Ethics Consults
This suggests providers are searching for definitive tools, in addition to the ethics committee, to help resolve difficult end-of-life cases.
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Ethics Consultants Want More Training for First Jobs
Clinical bioethics training programs serve a wide variety of individuals, some with clinical backgrounds, others with PhDs. Most graduates indicated that their basic training in ethics was adequate. Still, many wanted more training in quality improvement skills, including some exposure to quality improvement methodology. They also wanted to learn how to negotiate for resources and how to communicate with hospital leadership.
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Consultants Need Preparation for Common Ethics Challenges
Shadowing experienced ethics consultants and participating in debriefings after consults with other members of the ethics team are top priorities for ethics training.
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Palliative Care Encounters Ethical Conflicts: Consistent Communication Is Key
Palliative care specialists encounter a wide range of ethical challenges in their day-to-day practice, such as navigating institutional policies, interprofessional conflicts, and resource allocation.
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Ethical Concerns if Clinical Trial Results Go Unreported
Study participants believe investigators are conducting their research to promote the public good and scientific advancement. But leaving trial data unpublished creates its own kind of bias, possibly harming the public.
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Evolving Ethics of ‘Right to Try’ Unproven Drugs
Ethical concerns persist regarding seriously ill patients who want the chance to try unproven, unapproved drugs.
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Community-Led Research Bolstered by Access to Big Data
The next step is to determine the logistics of how to empower communities with the tools they need to ask and answer their own research questions.
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Video Facilitates Informed Consent for ICU Procedures
Audiovisual modules may improve knowledge and comprehension of ICU procedures, according to the results of a study of critically ill surgical patients and their legally authorized representatives.
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Quality of Life Important to ICU Patients, But Clinicians Lack Data
This underscores how clinicians must start keeping track of these outcomes to improve their ability to predict them and provide patients and families with information they want.