Medical Ethics Advisor
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Many oncologists being asked to solicit donations from patients
About one-third of oncologists had been asked to directly solicit a donation from their patients for their institutions, according to a recent study - and half declined to do so.
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Ethical approaches to disclose errors made by other clinicians
Physicians face a number of personal and ethical challenges in disclosing medical errors made by a colleague.
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The Challenge of Advance Care Planning Billing
Providers can now bill Medicare for advance care planning, eliminating one important barrier to end-of-life conversations.
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Families say nursing care is key support for end-of-life care
Vigilance in the provision of nursing care, communication of even slight changes in the patient’s condition, and validation of the family’s decision-making increase family members’ comfort during the dying process, a recent qualitative study suggests.
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New guidance on palliative care delivery in oncology practices
A new guidance statement to define high-quality primary palliative care delivery in medical oncology has been developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
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Many academics on industry boards: Conflicts of interest are ethical concern
Academics from medical schools and research institutions hold nearly 10% of positions on boards of directors at publicly traded healthcare companies, according to a recent study.
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“Instant access” culture driving trend toward at-home testing
Ethical issues involving at-home self-testing include patient autonomy, the fact that knowledgeable providers aren’t interpreting findings, and the possibility of false or misleading results.
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Did ethics consults occur too late? Reluctant clinicians are one reason
Ethics consults often are called only after the patient lacks decision-making capacity and death is inevitable despite aggressive treatment.
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Greater palliative care knowledge in nursing homes linked to less aggressive end-of-life care
The more nursing directors knew about palliative care, the less likely their patients experienced feeding tube insertion, injections, restraints, suctioning, and emergency department visits, according to a recent study.
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Researchers accused of unethical practices: Psychiatric patients “extremely vulnerable”
In 2003, psychiatric researchers at the University of Minnesota recruited a mentally ill young man, Dan Markingson, into a study on an antipsychotic drug. Months later, the patient violently committed suicide; multiple allegations of unethical practices ensued.