Medical Ethics Advisor
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Emotional Support for Surrogates Linked to Better Decisions
Emotional support is important, and not only for surrogates’ psychological well-being: It’s also linked to the quality of their decision-making, found a recent study.
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Initiative’s Goal: To Honor Seriously Ill Patients’ Wishes
The Veterans Health Administration's Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative was designed to ensure that the goals, values, and life-sustaining treatment decisions of patients with serious illness are elicited, documented, and honored.
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Unique Informed Consent Challenges if Research Participant Is Incarcerated
Informed consent for research involving incarcerated people presents multiple unique ethical challenges for investigators.
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‘Ethical Obligation to Go Further’ if Patients Are Nonadherent for Financial Reasons
Some patients cannot afford recommended care because of higher out-of-pocket costs due in part to a surge in high-deductible plans.
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Ethics of Unilateral DNR Orders: Physicians Are Evenly Divided
Physicians are evenly divided as to whether unilateral do not resuscitate orders — decisions about resuscitation made by doctors without patient or surrogate consent — are appropriate, found a recent study.
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Ethics if Patient Wants to Transfer Embryos With Genetic Anomalies
Pre-implantation testing of embryos can detect genetic anomalies linked to serious health-affecting disorders. While patients rarely request that such embryos be transferred, it does happen.
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Report Examines How Research on Donated Organs Can Be Ethically Performed
Research on how to improve the quality and quantity of organs available for transplant poses multiple ethical challenges.
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ED Patients’ Documented DNR Status Might Conflict With Family’s Demands
Even if an ED patient’s do not resuscitate status is well-documented, family members may demand resuscitation — sometimes vehemently.
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Study: Timing of Advance Directive Linked to Aggressive End-of-Life Care
Did a patient complete an advance directive in his or her last months of life? If so, there is a greater chance of choosing aggressive care, found a recent study.
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Study: Residents Want to Be Involved in Error Disclosure
Residents’ error disclosure skills have improved over time, largely due to informal learning experiences, found a recent study.