Medical Ethics
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Some IRB Policies Unfairly Exclude People with Uncertain Decision-Making Capacity
Many IRB policies exclude individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, raising ethical and civil rights concerns. Researchers and ethicists advocate for inclusion, reassessment of capacity, and accommodations to ensure fair participation while balancing risk, consent, and autonomy.
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New Ethics Training Approaches Better Prepare Medical Students for Reality
Medical schools are adopting innovative ethics training methods, such as resident-led case conferences and humanities-based end-of-life education. These programs connect ethical principles to real clinical practice, helping trainees handle complex issues such as futility, patient autonomy, and dying patients.
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Growing Demand for Ethics Expertise to Evaluate AI Tools Before Use in Healthcare
Ethicists increasingly are needed to guide the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Their expertise ensures fairness, privacy protection, bias reduction, and patient-centered care, bridging gaps often overlooked in technical and business evaluations.
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Ethicists Expect Difficult Questions on AI Tools to Come Up During Consults
Artificial intelligence (AI) prognostic tools introduce ethical concerns about transparency, consent, bias, and explainability. Ethicists play a vital role in guiding responsible use, supporting clinicians, and preparing for challenging scenarios where AI intersects with patient care decisions.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.