Medical Ethics Advisor
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Tricky Business: When a Surgeon Also Is a Researcher
Consider this seemingly innocent, straightforward question: “Would you be interested in participating in a clinical trial?” Now consider the ethical implications if a surgeon asks his or her own patient the same question.
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What Happens if Your Study Fails to Meet Recruitment Targets?
Failure to find enough clinical trial participants is more than just a logistical problem. There also are important ethical concerns. If the study remains incomplete, investigators risk violating the principle of beneficence.
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Clinicians Often Use Medical Jargon to Refer to Death
During family meetings, ethicists can gently clarify language to ensure everyone understands. Even the best communicators will encounter patients and families who will not or cannot hear the words spoken to them, especially if it is bad news.
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When Researchers Discover Incidental Findings During Clinical Trial
If a study includes genomic testing, it is possible incidental findings will be discovered. As it stands, there is no clear guidance for whether researchers should tell participants about those findings.
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Clinicians Are Ethically Obligated to Consider Financial Side of Care
Clinicians should include the cost of care in discussions, help patients access charity care or financial counseling, and screen patients for social determinants of health.
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Ethical Justification for Research on Dangerous Pathogens
Recent inflammatory headlines suggested researchers had created a more dangerous version of COVID. However, those researchers said the headlines were misleading. Nevertheless, it spotlighted the ethical concerns involving research on pathogens.
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Controversy Erupts Over Expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying
Ethical controversy has erupted over Canada’s expansion of eligibility criteria for medical assistance in dying.
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Disclosure Needed if Physicians Own Outpatient Facilities
Physician ownership creates an inherent conflict of interest, known as “dual agency.” This means the physician has a personal financial stake that could conflict with the ethical obligation toward patient well-being.
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What Happens if Post-Approval Studies Are Delayed or Do Not Show Benefit?
Essentially, the ethical issues are how to consider the interests of patients today, who are willing to accept uncertainty in the hopes a drug works because they do not have time to wait, and the interests of patients tomorrow, who would prefer to have stronger evidence about what works and what does not.
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Ethical Approaches for Accurate Patient-Reported Outcome Measures
When researchers are comparing treatments in clinical trials, proxy reports might be a useful surrogate for patients whose self-report cannot be obtained or is unreliable.