Medical Ethics
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Survey: Patient and Family Ethical Worries May Go Undetected
Some respondents indicated a provider did not listen, did not communicate clearly, did not provide helpful information, lacked empathy, was dismissive, or was not knowledgeable or experienced. For at least some of those cases, an ethics consult probably would have been a good idea.
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Compensation, Employment Models Vary Widely in Clinical Ethics Field
The disparities stem in part from a lack of evidence establishing the fact that trained ethicists experience better outcomes compared to their untrained counterparts. Researchers could determine if the notes of trained ethicists reference best practices and national consensus standards more often than the notes of untrained ethicists. Gathering tangible data allows ethicists to make reasonable, evidence-based arguments.
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How Ethicists Can Make Business Case for Resources
Ethics consultation services may boost patient satisfaction, improve employee morale, lower the risk of litigation, or enhance productivity. However, proving it is challenging.
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Surgeons May Need Additional Ethical Guidance
There is an evolving recognition of surgical ethics as a distinct branch of medical ethics — and an integral part of surgical practice itself.
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Physicians Suggest Small But Important Update to Standards for Determining Death
The Uniform Law Commission is debating possible revisions to the Uniform Determination of Death Act.
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Biden Administration Releases 10 Drugs for Price Negotiation
Medications represent 20% of the total Medicare Part D gross covered prescription costs.
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Highly Publicized Research Fraud Erodes Public Trust
There is not much IRBs can do to spot misconduct or fraud in clinical trials. IRBs do not typically review data. However, IRBs should promote compliance with legal and ethical requirements, and deal with suspected noncompliance in a fair, reasonable, and timely fashion.
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Initiative Raises Organ Referral Rates, Expands Donor List and Transplanted Organ Supply
An individual’s organ donation wishes should be part of their holistic care plan. Ethicists could provide education to clinicians on this point. A culture of trust between the patient community, clinical care providers, the transplant program, and the organ procurement organization is necessary. This takes years to build — and one bad case to break.
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Many Ethical Considerations if Surgeons Record Procedures
Ideally, the surgical team uses the recordings in conjunction with quality improvement and risk management to assess efficiency, professionalism, communication, and leadership. The ethics of video recording should be integrated into graduate and continuous education modules.
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Ethicists Are Finding Ways to Meet Needs of Rural Clinicians
For many smaller hospitals or health systems, it is simply impractical to hire an ethicist. The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative pools the resources of smaller hospitals. Meetings target areas in which expertise may be lacking at each hospital, including clinical ethics.