Medical Ethics Advisor – August 1, 2021
August 1, 2021
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Ethical Controversy Erupts Over Alzheimer’s Drug Approval
The first new Alzheimer’s drug to be approved in almost 20 years has sparked a major ethical controversy, leading to protest resignations, criticism, qualifying statements, and even calls for investigations. -
Underrepresented Groups in Alzheimer’s Trials Remain Persistent Ethical Concern
Despite ongoing efforts to address disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care, much work remains. The authors of a recent report identified some of the barriers diverse populations are facing in accessing and receiving dementia care. -
Ethical Challenges of AI Coming Soon
Numerous real-life examples of artificial intelligence in healthcare already pose difficult ethical questions: Informed consent, patient privacy, transparency, allocation, and safety are a few. The authors of a recent paper argued artificial intelligence-related ethics training should begin in medical school. -
Survey: Ethics Consultations Gap Widening Between Small and Large Hospitals
Researchers hope leaders can use these data to decide what resources to devote to ethics consultation. -
Ethical Concerns with Variation in Hospitals’ Code Status Options
Some ethicists are unaware of how code status options are named and defined at their institutions. Researchers found that at some hospitals, code status options in the electronic medical record did not even match what was in the hospital policy. Ethics should be one of the experts in this area. -
Video Results in Slightly Better Informed Consent, More Satisfaction
Keep in mind the person who has who to digest informed consent information. Avoiding complex terminology could lead to better understanding among the laypeople who participate in clinical trials. -
Community Input Ensures Ethical Informed Consent
By including ordinary people, researchers could create consent forms, and a consenting process, that is primarily suited to meeting the needs of potential participants. -
Day-Long Ethics Training for Graduate Students Is Effective
A shorter program could be more useful for smaller universities that may not have the resources available to implement a longer program. -
Ethics of Fertility Preservation for Transgender and Nonbinary Youth
In an updated policy statement, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine says transgender status should not prevent a patient from accessing fertility preservation. Further, reproductive services should be offered to all interested transgender or nonbinary individuals, barring other disqualifying factors (based on empirical evidence as opposed to bias or stereotypes). -
Prepare for an Unexpected PI Transition
Contemplating death can be uncomfortable, but by planning ahead, researchers can find peace in knowing their life’s work continues beyond their physical presence. -
Clinical Research as an Equalizer
Differences in outcomes and responses to treatment in diverse populations often have been attributed to biological factors. However, standardized treatment can tell a divergent story, one in which parameters, such as geographic location and financial status, play a significant role in how a person responds. This underscores the importance of a diverse study population in clinical trials, researchers say.