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Recent studies in intensive care units1 (ICU) have found that critical care specialists often try to base decisions about withdrawal of advanced life support measures based on their perception of the patients wishes and the likelihood of survival in the ICU. But making accurate decisions about a patients wishes in such situations often requires clinicians to communicate effectively with surrogate decision makers members of the patients family or others empowered to make decisions should the person become incapacitated.
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More education for physicians and research into pain management strategies appropriate to the emergency setting are needed to ensure appropriate care in the emergency department (ED), new research indicates. Two upcoming studies published in the April issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine reveal that ED physicians prescribing practices vary widely even when the clinical scenarios are the same.
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The current lack of oversight for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and human embryo research is compromising the future of children created using ART as well as hindering the progress of research into new and innovative treatments for diseases and conditions, a new report from the Presidents Council on Bioethics indicates.
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Last years worldwide outbreak of a deadly new virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), made health systems around the world re-examine their preparedness to deal with a sudden epidemic of infectious disease. But in addition to designing new methods for detecting outbreaks and improving measures to prevent spread, health care providers again must look at the complex ethical issues that epidemics pose to society, experts say.
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Record numbers of U.S. children are being treated for depression and receiving prescriptions for antidepressants. Some mental health experts, however, fear many of these patients actually suffer from more severe illnesses and are being misdiagnosed.
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Although federal regulations require health care providers to provide assistance to patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) including translation and interpretation services when necessary there are no objective standards or guidelines for who may work as an interpreter for health encounters. As a result, most hospitals and primary care providers have sketchy programs for communicating with non-English-speaking patients.
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In an effort to better standardize and improve the quality of palliative care services available nationwide, a consensus group has released new clinical guidelines detailing what services a palliative care program should include and where providers can go for more information and support.
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More than one in four U.S. adults has received treatment for a mental health problem in the past two years, via talk therapy, medication, or a combination of the two, according to a new Harris Interactive poll, Therapy in America 2004. Harris Interactive is a national research and polling firm best known for conducting the Harris Poll, which is a survey of public opinion on a variety of topics.
