Medical Ethics
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Study: Residents uncomfortable with end-of-life conversations
Internal medicine residents remained uncomfortable with end-of-life care discussions even after receiving additional training, according to a recent study.
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Evidence of economic burden of disparate care for minorities continues to grow
A recent tragic case involving informed consent obtained from parents with limited English proficiency led to a successful lawsuit against the hospital. Eliminating health disparities for minorities would have reduced direct medical care expenditures by $229.4 billion for the years 2003-2006, according to a 2011 study. “If we don’t get a handle on health disparities, the implications are far bigger than social justice,” says LaVeist, the study’s lead author.
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Network of bioethicists gives guidance to investigators with research ethics issues
The Clinical Research Ethics Consultation, a group of 40 bioethicists at 30 institutions, helps investigators resolve ethical issues that arise during research.
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Measles outbreak puts spotlight on vaccine refusers: Providers need ethical responses
An increasing number of pediatricians are encountering families requesting an altered vaccine schedule or refusing vaccines altogether; some are responding by dismissing families from their practices, according to a study.
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Commission calls for integration of ethics into public health response
A February 2015 report from the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues explores ethical issues involving the Ebola epidemic and public health planning and response.
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Survey identifies key ethical dilemmas encountered by nurses
Hospice and palliative care nurses reported inadequate communication, provision of non-beneficial care, and discontinuation of life-prolonging therapies as some of the factors contributing to ethical issues, according to a recent survey.
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Non-Hospice Patients Receive More Aggressive End-of-Life Care
Patients who do not enroll in hospice are more likely to receive aggressive cancer care at the end of life, according to a recent study.
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ED setting poses unique challenges in palliative care delivery
It is very easy for emergency department (ED) providers to “err on the side of caution” when deciding whether to institute life-sustaining therapies. “But this, in fact, may not be the best course of care,” says Tammie E. Quest, MD, director of Emory Palliative Care Center and associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
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Use proven strategies when conflicts arise over withdrawing futile treatments
Conflict surrounding withdrawal of futile treatments is one of the most common reasons for ethics consults being called.
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Are consultants called the “ethics police?” What’s behind clinicians’ attitudes
At times, providers react negatively to the involvement of ethics; “ethics police” is an often-used derogatory term reflecting this attitude.