Medical Ethics Advisor – December 1, 2013
December 1, 2013
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Disclosure of medical mistakes becoming the new cultural norm in health care: Ethics at forefront
More hospitals and health care facilities are developing policies, procedures, resources, and training modules to address disclosure of mistakes to patients and families. -
Controversy over incidental findings in genetic testing
When performing whole genome sequencing, clinicians may encounter incidental findings unrelated to the condition for which the patient was tested. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics recently recommended that clinical labs should be required to analyze 56 genes that increase the likelihood of diseases for which there is an intervention. -
Clinician’s impairment not related to addiction?
Patient safety is at risk if clinicians with undiagnosed conditions causing impairment continue to practice, but colleagues often fail to report the impairment. -
Bioethicists, hospitals both benefit from QA committee participation
Bioethicists often lack a clear prescence in quality assurance committees, but their involvement has many potential benefits for clinical ethics services, clinicians, hospital administrators, and patients. -
Consent processes for mandatory vaccines are possibly unethical
Informed consent is a key ethical concern when health care providers are consenting to a mandatory vaccination, since autonomous patient choice is not possible where vaccination is a condition of employment. -
Is specific recommendation rejected? Continue work
Occasionally, clinicians, patients, or surrogates reject an ethicists advice or recommendations. In this scenario, bioethicists should seek to maintain working relationships and continue dialogue.