Browse Medical Ethics Advisor Articles by Topic

Informed Consent Is Central Ethics Concern with Xenotransplantation Clinical Trials

Xenotransplant trials raise ethical issues, particularly around informed consent. Researchers must address participant understanding, therapeutic misconceptions, long-term risks, and vulnerable populations while ensuring transparency, safety, and equitable decision-making.

Growing Ethical Concerns on Group Harm in ‘Data-Centric’ Research

Data-centric research poses risks not only to individuals but also to identifiable groups. Experts urge institutional review boards and researchers to recognize potential group harms, implement community engagement, and ensure responsible data use to avoid stigmatization and social harm.

Surrogate Decision-Makers’ Trust in Clinical Team Is Affected by Many Factors

Trust between surrogate decision-makers and intensive care unit teams is shaped by communication, empathy, and perceived competence. Breakdown of trust can hinder care decisions, while proactive, transparent engagement helps align treatment with patient values and reduces family conflict.

Family Might Have Valid Reasons to Override Patient’s Advance Directive

Ethical conflicts often arise when families seek to override a patient’s advance directive. Ethicists guide clinicians through complex cases, weighing patient intent, medical changes, and best interests while addressing emotional and legal tensions around end-of-life care decisions.

New Data Inform Decision-Making on Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapy Timing

New research challenges assumptions about prognosis in severe traumatic brain injury cases, showing some patients recover well despite poor indicators. Ethicists emphasize caution and individualized decisions.

Homelessness Raises Unique Ethical Concerns on End-of-Life Care

Homelessness complicates end-of-life care because of isolation, surrogate scarcity, and structural barriers. Ethicists should collaborate with interprofessional teams to ensure respectful, context-aware care and advocate for inclusive policies addressing this vulnerable population’s needs.

Study Investigators Provide Research Ethics Training to Community Members

Tailored ethics training empowers community and youth researchers to engage meaningfully in human subjects research. These programs foster inclusion, mutual respect, and ethical literacy, enabling more equitable, participant-informed research processes and Institutional Review Board engagement.

IRBs Inconsistently Assess Scientific Merit

Institutional Review Boards inconsistently assess scientific merit, risking participant harm and ethical breaches. Lack of standardization, expertise gaps, and institutional conflicts undermine protections. Ethicists can advocate for rigorous review standards and transparent, participant-centered protocols.

Psychiatric Patient Capacity Evaluations Likely Highlight Other Ethical Issues

Psychiatric capacity evaluations often involve hidden ethical challenges, such as treatment refusal, surrogate ambiguity, and racial bias. Ethicists assist in contextualizing decisions, preserving autonomy, and supporting providers in ethically fraught scenarios involving complex patient values.

Ethical Debate Continues Over Access to Investigational Cell- and Gene-Based Interventions

Expanded access to unapproved gene and cell therapies raises ethical concerns around safety, informed consent, fairness, and regulatory compliance. Ethicists help balance compassionate access with clinical oversight, protecting vulnerable populations amid rapidly advancing science.