One health care lawyer suggests that there will be a phased implementation of the health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was passed in March.
At the University of California, Davis, the legal counsel and the ethics consultation services are "completely separated," according to Alexander A. Kon, MD, CM, FAAP, FCCM, who, among other appointments, serves as the director, clinical bioethics consultation service and chair, bioethics consultation committee.
In the days after a child has been diagnosed with leukemia, parents often must wrestle with decisions about participation in clinical trials. It's a busy and stressful period, as family members are still dealing with the trauma of the diagnosis.
Although most patient care scenarios can be worked out through careful communication with all those involved, there are certain situations where even greater diplomacy may be required on the part of ethics consultants.
While there are certain scenarios regarding patient care when what is written in the law may seem to counter what is ethically appropriate, in general, the law and ethics complement each other in the health care arena, according to those interviewed by Medical Ethics Advisor.
Trauma is the single greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric and adolescent populations.