Medical Ethics Advisor
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Informed Consent Challenges When Subject Is in ICU
ICU patients frequently lack capacity to provide informed consent for clinical research due to multiple factors. However, the presence of one or more of these characteristics does not automatically designate a potential subject as lacking capacity to provide his or her own informed consent.
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Ethics of Industry-Neurosurgeon Relationships
Conflicts of interest are inherent to surgical innovation and can be handled in an ethically sound manner, concluded a recent literature review.
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Growing Evidence That Surrogate Decision-makers Need Help
Surrogates reported better-quality communication with a family support intervention, found a recent study.
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New Data Support Family Participation in ICU Rounds
When family members of critically ill patients attend rounds in the ICU, enhancing communication and satisfaction may improve healthcare quality, a Canadian study suggests.
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Ethics of Informed Consent for Opioid Discontinuation
Patients addicted to opioids often find themselves with nowhere to turn when they try to discontinue the medication.
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Religion, Sense of Calling Linked to Caring for Medically Underserved
A recent survey of third- and fourth-year medical students revealed that their intention to practice in underserved areas is influenced by factors such as growing up in underserved settings, previous work experience in religiously affiliated organizations, and a very strong sense of calling.
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Ethics of Exception From Informed Consent in Emergency Research
Researchers do not always justify use of exception from informed consent, found a recent study.
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Online Comments Allow Greater Input on Ethics Consults
A close inspection of the medical record revealed conflicting information regarding a particular patient’s code status at University of Michigan Health System. The issue was identified and addressed due to an online comment system allowing for broad committee participation in ethics consultations.
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‘Uh-oh, the Ethics Police Are Here!’: Address Misconceptions Head-on
Clinicians sometimes wrongly assume the ethics role is to reprimand, criticize, or convince.
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Ethics Involvement Needed With Complex Discharges
Multiple ethical issues arise during discharge planning, including consent, capacity, and autonomy.