Medical Ethics
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Researchers Often Exclude Adults Living with Intellectual Disabilities
Historically, adults living with intellectual disabilities have not been considered among potential participants in the recruitment phase of studies, or have been presumed to lack capacity for first-person consent and excluded on that basis. While there is a contemporary trend toward greater inclusion, these barriers to research participation remain important concerns.
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Sham Surgeries: Should Researchers Offer the Real Procedure After the Trial?
There are legitimate concerns when investigators conduct sham-controlled trials. Researchers need a way to effectively determine if the surgery works, but designing this kind of ethically sound and efficacious clinical trial is difficult.
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Ethics Consults Depend on Ability to Absorb Multiple Viewpoints
An important role for the ethicist is to clarify the values people hold that inform their decision-making. Thus, ethicists must develop skills that encourage patients, families, or surrogates to openly express these values. But these skills do not always come naturally.
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Ethicists Debate Withdrawing ECMO Over Patient’s Objections
The commonly used ethical justifications for unilateral withdrawal over the objection of a patient with decision-making capacity are problematic. The ethicists’ task is to help stakeholders examine the underlying assumptions in light of the available empirical evidence or potential counterarguments.
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Many Seriously Ill Older Adults Lack Documented Goals-of-Care Discussions
Benign nudges may advance those discussions. These conversations do not need to be lengthy. A few short inquiries asked by a respectful, attentive provider is all that is needed to help many patients share concerns and preferences for care.
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HHS Removing Barriers for Patients with Limited English Proficiency
Feds aim to improve communication to prevent misdiagnosis, delayed treatment.
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Early Communication Can Establish Goals of Care Boundaries
When clinicians initiate the conversation, there can be a better understanding about the wishes of seriously ill patients.
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The Joint Commission’s Updated Ethics Standards Spark Debate
The Joint Commission could play a role in elevating the professionalism and value of ethics programs nationally with some enhanced standards, encouraging formal attention to best practices and evaluation — and evolving toward the possibility of more rigor over time.
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Ethics Work Affects Entire Hospital: Data Can Prove It
Ethics work aligns with many issues that are top of mind for hospital leaders. How can ethicists measure that?
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Nurse Champion Role Helps Identify Ethics Issues
With the right training and advocacy, nurses can identify and address ethical issues, along with moral distress. They might be more willing to speak up about ethical issues encountered in daily practice and identify institutional resources to assist.