Medical Ethics Advisor – November 1, 2019
November 1, 2019
View Archives Issues
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ICU Team Members’ Ethics Knowledge Varies Widely
ICU team members may lack a common language to talk about ethical problems. These differences shape how ICU professionals think about an ethical dilemma — or even whether something is viewed as an ethical dilemma at all.
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Ethical Concerns if Opioids are Given in ED
Medicaid recipients are at moderate risk for conversion to opioid misuse after just one new prescription issued in the ED, according to the authors of a recent study.
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New Guidance Targets Informed Consent for Stem Cell Therapies
Patients need to understand what is offered, whether a governmental authority has asserted its legislative right to regulate, and whether the intervention has complied with all applicable regulations.
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Is It Right to Screen All Adults for Illicit Drug Use?
Primary care clinicians should screen all adults for illicit drug use, including nonmedical prescription drug use, according to a draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
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All-Volunteer Model Risks Marginalizing Ethics
Evidence that ethics consultations are cost-effective can help move the dial toward compensating the people who do it.
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Number of Ethics Consults Could Be Tip of Iceberg; Many Concerns Go Unvoiced
In one review, researchers found only five ethics consults were documented during a three-month period. Yet, 63 staff members reported having an ethical concern during that same period. Notably, most of these issues involved moral distress in some way.
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Spreading the Word About Ethics Is Challenging
Cases may involve conflicts between the family and clinicians, confusion over the decision-making process, moral distress, or all these factors and more. Still, no ethics consult may ever happen. Sometimes, it is because clinicians have no idea ethics services exist at the organization.
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Controversial ‘Public Charge’ Rule Sparks Ethical Outcry
According to the rule, using public benefits, including Medicaid, may affect individuals’ ability to enter the United States or adjust to legal permanent resident status.