Medical Ethics
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Lack of Transparency on Informed Consent Documents Complicates Oncology Trials
Researchers should describe the potential benefits and risks of participating in the trial compared with potential benefits and risks of receiving standard treatment outside the trial. Also, strive to write consent forms that highlight the key issues involved in the decision to join a trial.
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Ethical End-of-Life Care for Homeless Patients
Clinicians should acknowledge their own potential bias and avoid using language in the medical record that is stigmatizing. Also, they can request an ethics consult before making any decision to not provide care for a patient experiencing homelessness.
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Is Death Imminent? Conflicts Occur if Clinicians Do Not Make It Clear
Poor communication on prognosis prevents the family from making decisions based on the true situation. If surrogates do not realize death is imminent, they cannot plan for hospice care or contact family members to be there for the patient’s last moments.
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Advance Care Planning Can Lower Odds of Aggressive End-of-Life Treatment
Advance care planning was associated with significantly lower odds of indicators of aggressive end-of-life care (i.e., hospital death, hospital admissions, intensive care, delayed hospice referrals, and chemotherapy). Cancer patients who engaged in advance care planning were 50% more likely to complete Do Not Resuscitate orders compared to cancer patients without an advance directive.
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Magnet Program Emphasizes Ethics in Patient Care
Ethics is included in the program’s foundational items, which must be in place for the hospital to be certified as a Magnet hospital. The organizational overview requirement mandates the hospital to create policies and procedures that address patient ethical issues.
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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.
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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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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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Physicians Group Creates Obesity Treatment Resources
American College of Physicians wants to expand education, advocacy, and partnerships to help clinicians care for all overweight patients.
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ChatGPT Provides Solid Responses to Virtual Medical Questions
Artificial intelligence tool provided empathetic, quality answers to online queries, which could help clinicians save time on electronic health record documentation work.