Browse Medical Ethics Advisor Articles by Topic

Ethics Service Uses Relative Value Units to Quantify the Work of Consultants

Unlike clinical areas, ethics services have no consistent way to measure their work. The lack of quantifiable data makes it hard for leadership to comprehend. Administrators live in the world of productivity measures. They do not fully understand the world of clinical ethics. A group at Baylor is working on the a solution that, if nothing else, would help everybody start to speak the same language.

Patients, Family, Clinicians All Misunderstand Chaplains’ Role

One way to help is to provide patients and providers with background information on chaplains, with an emphasis on the fact chaplains are certified professionals who are specifically trained to provide patient-focused spiritual care to all people, regardless of belief system.

Bioethics Field Lacks Standardized Competencies for Trainees

The hope is that training programs will find a way to evaluate not only trainees’ progress, but also the adequacy of their programs in training people to work in the field of bioethics.

Some Researchers Turn to Social Media Influencers for Help with Recruitment

To do this effectively, researchers must become familiar with the social media environment relevant to their study population, find the right influencers, and contact those people.

Report: Still Not Enough Women Included in Cardiovascular Research

To augment the enrollment of women in cardiovascular trials, researchers must build awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and foster trust among women. Try increasing the percentage of women who lead clinical trials, modifying inclusion and exclusion criteria, and advertising the risks and benefits of participation to the general population.

IRBs Now Expect More Diversity in Research Trials

Promoting equitable participation must not be at the cost of impeding research. But within an ethical framework beyond regulations, IRBs are evolving to address and accelerate equitable inclusion in research.

Medical Organizations’ Ethics Statements Are Inconsistent

Investigators analyzed the ethics statements of 22 organizations and characterized each as traditional (18%), relational (9%), or social constructionist (73%). Overall, there was significant inconsistency and lack of clarity on the direct goals of medicine. The study showed 33% to 53% of direct statements regarding the goals of medicine contained a fundamental philosophical disagreement.

For Most Patients on Dialysis, Religious/Spiritual Beliefs Are Important

Researchers surveyed 937 patients receiving dialysis at 31 facilities in Nashville and Seattle from 2015 to 2018. Those for whom religious or spiritual beliefs were more important were more likely to favor a shared decision-making role, more likely to favor resuscitation and mechanical ventilation, and less likely to have considered stopping dialysis.

Many Nurses Hesitate to Ask for Ethics Consult

Some nurses mistakenly believe only the attending physician can request ethics consults. Others do not even know their institution offers an active ethics consultation service. Still others worry about retaliation.

Inconsistent Ethics Training in Undergraduate Radiologic Technology Programs

Few programs are using case-based studies and group discussions. Such instruction gives students the opportunity to recognize, analyze, and understand ethical dilemmas. This would allow educators to evaluate how students apply their learning in the professional setting.