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Ethicists are seeing increasing numbers of consults involving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the most aggressive life-sustaining technology available. With ECMO, which is currently offered by about 250 U.S. hospitals, some patients are saved who would otherwise die.
Researcher: "Electronic health records will thoroughly change our ethical understanding of the doctor-patient relationship, and will probably require us to rethink it within this digital framework."
Most patients learn about the the option of left ventricular assist devices when they are facing the possibility of death. Emotion is high, and biases of cognition are prevalent. These issues pose challenges to ethical decision-making and informed consent.
Many clinical ethics services are seeing a surge in requests for consults as overall budgets decrease. Showing data on the volume of ethics work can make a difference, but numbers alone may not be enough to support additional resources. Experts explain how to create a better, more strategic plan.
Innovative neuroscience research is vital, but individuals with mental illness pose some unique ethical concerns in terms of their participation. The results of a recent study provided some reassurance on the decision-making processes of individuals.
After paying hundreds of dollars for direct-to-consumer genetic testing, people need someone they trust to explain what the results actually mean. Many turn to their physicians. The problem for clinicians is they do not know what kind of lab conducted the test or how reliable it is.
Many seriously ill patients are taking complementary and alternative medicine treatments. Not all tell their physicians, and not all physicians ask about it. Regardless, such use raises potentially major medical issues.
More patients are asking for medical marijuana, but some physicians are ethically conflicted or unsure how to respond. A recent paper offers an ethical guidance to physicians in managing these requests.
Financial Disclosure: Physician Editor Arthur R. Derse, MD, JD, Nurse Planner Susan Solverson, RN, BSN, CMSRN, Editor Jonathan Springston, Editor Jill Drachenberg, Editorial Group Manager Leslie Coplin, Accreditations Manager Amy M. Johnson, MSN, RN, CPN, and Author Stacey Kusterbeck report no consultant, stockholder, speakers’ bureau, research, or other financial relationships with companies having ties to this field of study.
