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The primary ethical consideration when approaching families for organ donation is to ensure that the donation authorization process is voluntary and that it respects the wishes of those who want to donate.
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The quality of palliative care training in critical care medicine programs and the use of bedside tools were independently associated with reduced intensive care unit (ICU) use at the end of life.
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Disclosure after medical errors is still not done consistently, partly due to clinicians continued concerns regarding liability exposure.
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While most Dutch respondents to a 2011 survey indicated that they initiated open discussions about sedation proactively, American respondents reported fewer such discussions, with most occurring late in the dying process.
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Patients will soon be able to access information about their physicians financial relationships, as a result of The Physician Payment Sunshine Act. It is unclear how this information will affect the patient-physician relationship.
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Bundled payments aim to contain healthcare costs, but some say this new payment model has the potential to incentivize undertreatment.
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In light of multiple recent studies linking feeding tubes in patients with advanced dementia with numerous treatment burdens and complications, the American Geriatrics Society released an updated position statement in July 2014 on this practice.
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Physicians or other healthcare professionals occasionally try to impede ethical discussions for a variety of reasons.
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Poor communication between providers and the patient or family is the underlying reason for many ethics consults involving conflicts over end-of-life care.
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Ethical concerns involving prevention and treatment of Ebola mirror those surrounding other public health threats in developing countries.