Medical Ethics Advisor
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Spiritual Self-care Linked to Higher Surrogate Confidence
There is increasing focus on finding ways to help patients and their families prepare for the surrogate role much earlier so that the end of life is not as traumatic for all concerned.
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Nurse-facilitated Discussion Decreases Surrogate Stress
Surrogates reported less stress and greater satisfaction after a nurse-directed discussion on end-of-life preferences, a recent study found.
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Ethics-Administrator Relations Go From Adversarial to Collegial
Good relations between ethics and hospital administration require a solid understanding of their distinct roles.
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‘Tremendous Interest’ in Dementia-specific Advance Directives
Court challenges and resistance are expected for recently developed dementia-specific advance directives despite strong demand voiced by patients, family, and providers.
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Advance Care Planning Discussions ‘Buried’ in EHRs: Problem Is Pervasive
Half of patients with a completed advance care planning legal form had no explanatory discussion documented, found a recent study.
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Surge in Ethics Consults Outside ICU Setting
Ethicists at Springfield, IL-based Memorial Medical Center have been seeing increased volume of consults for some time. Recently, they have noticed many are occurring outside of the ICU setting.
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Patients With Language Barriers Less Likely to Limit Life Support and Change Code to DNR
Decisions regarding life support, code status, and advance directives are different for patients with limited English proficiency in the ICU compared with patients whose primary language was English, found a recent study.
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Ethics Guidance on Reproductive Issues in Cancer Patients
Multiple ethical issues related to reproduction in the context of cancer are addressed in an updated position statement from The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Ethics Committee.
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Orientation for Ethics Consultants? Some Have None at All
Institutions should re-evaluate their orientation practices for ethics committee members that perform ethics consultations, suggests recent research.
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Ethics Needs of Pediatric EDs More Prevalent
Ethical challenges in pediatric EDs are more prevalent than in adult EDs, found a recent study. Researchers also found that nurses voice specific moral distress issues that are different than adult EDs.