Medical Ethics Advisor
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Making More Protected Time for Clinical Ethics Work
To make a good case for investing in protected time, ethicists can engage with department heads to identify the unmet needs of healthcare providers. Testimonials from providers who have benefitted from ethics consultation demonstrate direct benefit to patient care.
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Ethical Problems with Rural Cancer Patients’ Access to Care
Patients and clinicians should discuss any available data regarding differences in care delivered at potential treatment sites, potential accompanying outcomes differences, and the costs and benefits of pursuing treatment at each site. Rural patient navigators should be involved in this discussion, considering the complexity of care coordination for patients with cancer.
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Remote Mental Healthcare Facing Ethical, Legal Pushback
Patients might assume they are talking with a licensed therapist, when they actually are speaking with an unlicensed therapist or a mental health coach. That is an ethical violation.
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Physicians Should Educate Patients About Cannabis-Impaired Driving
Primary care providers should discuss frequency of use, dosage, tolerance levels, and withdrawal symptoms. Also, inform patients of the harms, risks, and legal consequences of cannabis-impaired driving.
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Is Ethics Education Part of the Solution to the Nursing Shortage?
Armed with ethics expertise, nursing leaders can help frontline nurses avoid burnout and moral distress. Consider routinely hosting short meetings to discuss ethical problems that are arising before things reach a crisis level.
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Ethical Responses if Family Abandons Loved One at Hospital
By leveraging their mediation skills, ethicists can build trust between weary family caregivers and clinicians who are unsure about how to handle a delicate situation. This can help everyone identify patient needs and find possible solutions.
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Surrogates View Their Role Differently Than Clinicians
Surrogates view their role as speaking on behalf of the patient; clinicians view the surrogate’s role as speaking as if the patient was in the room advocating for themselves. The problem arises when the surrogate does not voice the opinions of the patient, instead voicing their own opinion of the situation.
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Clarity and Consistency Help Families Facing Serious Medical Decisions
Different clinicians use similar-sounding terms. Families may make decisions based on how the clinician presents a situation. It is critical for medical providers to choose their words carefully.
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Physician Autonomy at Issue if Patients Demand Ineffective Treatments
A controversial Wisconsin Supreme Court case centers on whether physicians can be legally required to provide ivermectin for COVID-19 if a patient or family requests it.
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Providing Ethical Neonatal Cardiac Care
The complexities associated with neonates with cardiac disease require a collaborative and cohesive strategy. Shared decision-making, research ethics, and outcomes reporting are important considerations.