Medical Ethics Advisor – July 1, 2021
July 1, 2021
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Updated Guidance on Health Equity Movement
Three recent reports explain how the healthcare industry can improve diversity and inclusion. -
Revised Ethics Recommendations on Cardiology Care Reflect 2021 Priorities
Leading cardiology groups lend new insights on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. -
Billing, Disparities Now Part of Hospital Surveys
The Leapfrog Group wants to see hospitals ensuring bias is not undermining the quality of care delivered to particular patients. From a billing standpoint, fear of costs prevents some from seeking needed care. -
Some Consults Specifically Address Moral Distress
A Virginia-based health system has learned much about moral distress and why it is important to recognize and intervene. -
Ethics Tries to Keep Up with Quickly Evolving Stem Cell Research
Updated guidelines offer specific recommendations for embryo research, stem cell embryo models, organoids, chimeras, germline genome editing, and mitochondrial replacement techniques. Public support for controversial research is an overarching goal. -
Fewer Family Meetings in ICU Are Reason for Dissatisfaction
Supporting families faced with making critical decisions for incapacitated loved ones is a core ethical duty for ICU clinicians. Yet little is known about family characteristics that predict their dissatisfaction with support during decision-making. -
Chaplains Report Receiving No Ethics Education
Chaplains often serve on ethics committees, as ethics consultants, and as institutional review board members. Yet there are no standardized ethics curricula in Clinical Pastoral Education programs. -
The Unique Characteristics of Surgical Consults
Ethics consults called by surgical specialties differ somewhat from consults called by other hospital specialties. -
Intensity of Treatment Is Common Issue in Consults for Solid Organ Transplant
Ethical questions on organ transplantation have focused mainly on resource allocation — access to transplantation and prioritization of donor organs. A recent analysis revealed few consults were called for questions about appropriate resource allocation. -
Ethical Obstacles When Securing Informed Consent for ICU Research
Usually, there is plenty of time for patients or families to decide if they want to be involved in a clinical trial, and there is adequate time for a thorough informed consent process. It’s a bit different in the ICU.