Medical Ethics Advisor
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Providing Ethical Neonatal Cardiac Care
The complexities associated with neonates with cardiac disease require a collaborative and cohesive strategy. Shared decision-making, research ethics, and outcomes reporting are important considerations.
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Physician Autonomy at Issue if Patients Demand Ineffective Treatments
A controversial Wisconsin Supreme Court case centers on whether physicians can be legally required to provide ivermectin for COVID-19 if a patient or family requests it.
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Clarity and Consistency Help Families Facing Serious Medical Decisions
Different clinicians use similar-sounding terms. Families may make decisions based on how the clinician presents a situation. It is critical for medical providers to choose their words carefully.
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Surrogates View Their Role Differently Than Clinicians
Surrogates view their role as speaking on behalf of the patient; clinicians view the surrogate’s role as speaking as if the patient was in the room advocating for themselves. The problem arises when the surrogate does not voice the opinions of the patient, instead voicing their own opinion of the situation.
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Ethical Responses if Family Abandons Loved One at Hospital
By leveraging their mediation skills, ethicists can build trust between weary family caregivers and clinicians who are unsure about how to handle a delicate situation. This can help everyone identify patient needs and find possible solutions.
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Is Ethics Education Part of the Solution to the Nursing Shortage?
Armed with ethics expertise, nursing leaders can help frontline nurses avoid burnout and moral distress. Consider routinely hosting short meetings to discuss ethical problems that are arising before things reach a crisis level.
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Tissue Donors Can Track How Researchers Use Samples
Tissue donors never knew who used their samples or how. For the first time, tissue donors are using blockchain technology to track how scientists use their samples through a pilot program.
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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.