Medical Ethics Advisor
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Many Ethical Considerations if Surgeons Record Procedures
Ideally, the surgical team uses the recordings in conjunction with quality improvement and risk management to assess efficiency, professionalism, communication, and leadership. The ethics of video recording should be integrated into graduate and continuous education modules.
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Ethicists Are Finding Ways to Meet Needs of Rural Clinicians
For many smaller hospitals or health systems, it is simply impractical to hire an ethicist. The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative pools the resources of smaller hospitals. Meetings target areas in which expertise may be lacking at each hospital, including clinical ethics.
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Ethical Approaches to Informed Consent for Genetic Testing
Participants should understand what the test is for, why, what could be found, what type of information will be returned to them (and how), what resources will be available for any needed follow-up care, what will happen to their data, the point of the research, and potential for data to be used in future research.
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Ethicists Are Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Hospitals and health systems should do more to address social determinants of health to meet an ethical obligation to improve community health. Ethicists can collaborate with clinicians and social workers to find solutions. Considering the complexity of such issues, it may be unrealistic to develop effective interventions immediately. But an ethics consult is a good starting point.
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Ethics Involvement Is Needed with Medical Artificial Intelligence
Ethicists can help research, design, develop, and implement artificial intelligence programs at the administrative or practice levels.
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Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Trainees Want Ethics Expertise
Ethics education would not replace the option or need to obtain a formal ethics consultation. However, such education could lead to fewer cases during which specialists believe they need such assistance.
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High-Intensity End-of-Life Care Remains the Default at Hospitals
Ethicists can help by assisting in developing hospital policies and crafting ethics committees in a way that does not pose unnecessary bureaucratic challenges or prevent physicians from acting in the patient’s best interest.
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Ethicists Often Called to Resolve Conflicts Over Aggressive Care
Quality, compassionate communication with families is critical to prevent further escalation of conflict and to preserve trust in the therapeutic relationship.
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Emergency Physicians Rarely Bill for Advance Care Planning
Clinicians should be aware of the opportunity to provide this important service to patients – while also receiving appropriate compensation.
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Multidisciplinary Initiative Leads to More Referrals, Donors, and Transplanted Organs
Staff training and more visible public awareness helped a Georgia hospital make tremendous improvements.