Medical Ethics Advisor – December 1, 2015

December 1, 2015

• Greater palliative care knowledge in nursing homes linked to less aggressive end-of-life care

  The more nursing directors knew about palliative care, the less likely their patients experienced feeding tube insertion, injections, restraints, suctioning, and emergency department visits, according to a recent study.

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• Did ethics consults occur too late? Reluctant clinicians are one reason

  Ethics consults often are called only after the patient lacks decision-making capacity and death is inevitable despite aggressive treatment.

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• “Instant access” culture driving trend toward at-home testing

  Ethical issues involving at-home self-testing include patient autonomy, the fact that knowledgeable providers aren’t interpreting findings, and the possibility of false or misleading results.

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• Many academics on industry boards: Conflicts of interest are ethical concern

  Academics from medical schools and research institutions hold nearly 10% of positions on boards of directors at publicly traded healthcare companies, according to a recent study.

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• New guidance on palliative care delivery in oncology practices

  A new guidance statement to define high-quality primary palliative care delivery in medical oncology has been developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

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• Families say nursing care is key support for end-of-life care

  Vigilance in the provision of nursing care, communication of even slight changes in the patient’s condition, and validation of the family’s decision-making increase family members’ comfort during the dying process, a recent qualitative study suggests.

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