Medical Ethics Advisor – June 1, 2019
June 1, 2019
View Issues
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Remote Ethics Consults Help With Growing Demand for Onsite Ethics
Despite inherent limitations when the ethicist’s input comes instead from a screen or phone, some hospitals are moving toward remote ethics consults. Lack of robust ethics expertise onsite and a surge in demand are contributing factors.
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Legal Requirements May Conflict With Clinicians’ Ethical Obligations
It is simply not possible for clinicians to do the right thing if ethical principles and legal requirements are in direct conflict, experts say. But it is important not to lose sight of what the right thing is.
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Unique Informed Consent Challenges of Sequentially Randomized Trials
Some people initially appear to be good candidates for transplant. But complications of treatment may develop — changing the risk-benefit analysis. A repeat consent conference is necessary before each sequential randomization.
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Study: Trust in Physicians Declined When Industry Ties Reported
Research suggests that when patients know that individual doctors receive industry payments, the patients trusted those specific doctors less. The researchers found that transparency negatively affected both patient trust in their own doctors and in the medical profession.
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Ethics Champion Program Empowers Clinical Teams
As healthcare organizations become more complex, there is a greater need for ethical discussion. Ethics champion programs are one way of encouraging discussions.
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New Data Shed Light on Scientific Misconduct
Publication pressure is one of the strongest predictors of research misconduct.
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Ethics of Cellphone Use in Clinic Waiting Rooms
Ethical issues related to patient cellphone use center around the physician-patient relationship. At issue: How to balance the value of both physicians’ and patients’ time.
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Few Cardiology Treatment Recommendations Based on High-Quality Evidence
The proportion of recommendations supported by data from randomized controlled trials actually decreased from 2008. In looking at updated guidelines, the researchers found that fewer recommendations were supported by randomized controlled trials than in the prior versions.