Medical Ethics Advisor – June 1, 2013
June 1, 2013
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Study’s findings leave no doubt: End-of-life wishes aren’t always met or known
Many patients dont discuss their end-of-life wishes with physicians, but even if they do, those wishes often fail to be added to patients medical records, according to a recent study.1 We expected to see some problems thats why we did the study but we were surprised by the magnitude of the problem! says Daren Heyland, MD, MSc, scientific director of the Clinical Evaluation Research Unit at Kingston General Hospital in Ontario, Canada. -
End-of-life planning too often inadequate
The past 50 years in medicine have brought amazing advances in technology and pharmacology that have been able to defer death for many more people until much later in life, notes Nancy E. Havas, MD, FAAFP, associate professor at the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. -
Genetic testing of children: Ethical considerations are evolving
Decisions about whether to offer genetic testing and screening to children should be driven by what is in the best interest of the child, emphasizes Lainie Friedman Ross, MD, PhD, Carolyn and Matthew Bucksbaum professor of clinical ethics and associate director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics in Chicago, IL. -
Clinical medical students given "booster shot" in ethics education
The majority of third-year medical students were able to recall the four ethical principles, appreciated the relevance of preclinical ethics education, and had positive self-assessments of their clinical-ethical reasoning abilities, according to a recent study. -
"Mystery patient" research: Ethically justified or not?
When the Department of Health and Human Services announced plans in 2011 for a mystery shopper study of access to primary care, some physicians raised ethical concerns about the use of deception with human subjects without soliciting their informed consent. -
Do physicians market products? Patients could be unduly influenced
Although not subject to the provisions of the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, which become effective in September 2014, sales of medications or products in provider offices could unduly influence patients, says Margaret R. McLean, PhD, associate director and director of bioethics at Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara (CA) University. -
Some benefit, but at a high cost? Patients deserve "even-handed" description
The continuing development and dissemination of high-cost medical treatments poses significant ethical questions regarding access to health care and just distribution of the benefits of these treatments, according to John C. Moskop, PhD, chair of the Clinical Ethics Committee at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.