Medical Ethics Advisor
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Surgeons May Need Additional Ethical Guidance
There is an evolving recognition of surgical ethics as a distinct branch of medical ethics — and an integral part of surgical practice itself.
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How Ethicists Can Make Business Case for Resources
Ethics consultation services may boost patient satisfaction, improve employee morale, lower the risk of litigation, or enhance productivity. However, proving it is challenging.
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Compensation, Employment Models Vary Widely in Clinical Ethics Field
The disparities stem in part from a lack of evidence establishing the fact that trained ethicists experience better outcomes compared to their untrained counterparts. Researchers could determine if the notes of trained ethicists reference best practices and national consensus standards more often than the notes of untrained ethicists. Gathering tangible data allows ethicists to make reasonable, evidence-based arguments.
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Survey: Patient and Family Ethical Worries May Go Undetected
Some respondents indicated a provider did not listen, did not communicate clearly, did not provide helpful information, lacked empathy, was dismissive, or was not knowledgeable or experienced. For at least some of those cases, an ethics consult probably would have been a good idea.
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Ethics Consults Focus on the Criteria Used to Determine Death
Some families simply need more time to process strong emotional reactions and grief. Establishing trust can help resolve these cases. Particularly in critical care, it is important from the moment that clinicians meet a family to start to build a good therapeutic relationship with them.
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Higher Mortality Rates Among ICU Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Consider early and timely palliative care services instead of the ICU. Early exposure to palliative care may improve both survivability and quality of life, and may lower the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
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Clinicians Need Proactive Approach to Ensure Ethical Artificial Intelligence Use
Rather than reacting to associated risks, clinicians implementing AI algorithms should ensure policies and safeguards are in place and routinely assess them. They also can be advocates for such protections through interactions with industries and organizations, as well as mentorship of trainees.
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Literature Review Reveals Gaps in Research on Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Ethicists should consider the potential for discrimination and inequality in access to assisted reproductive technologies, and help make these solutions available to all who need them, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or other factors.
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To Pay or Not to Pay: Researchers Grapple with Implications of Reimbursing Study Participants
Pushback on paying participants comes from both researchers and IRBs. From the researcher’s perspective, concerns revolve around budgetary limitations and how much they can afford to pay. IRBs generally are more concerned about payment amounts causing undue influence on participation.
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Patients Say Researchers Are Ethically Obligated to Return Study Data
Returning patient-reported outcome data to study participants is a growing priority for researchers. it is important to do it in a way that is comprehensible, actionable, and aligned with participants’ preferences.