Ethics
Do Not Resuscitate: Examining the Ethics of Overriding DNR Orders During Surgery
April 16, 2018The role of an anesthesiologist during surgery is not solely to make the patient more comfortable: if a patient becomes hemodynamically unstable, the anesthesiologist is required to administer CPR — sometimes against a patient's wishes.
Despite Research Gap, Medical Marijuana Use Supported at End of Life in Pediatric Cancer
April 11, 2018Since the legalization of medical marijuana, clinicians must come up with appropriate responses to requests for treatment in pediatric end-of-life settings.
CVS Unintentionally Reveals HIV Status of 6000 Customers
April 10, 2018CVS Health faces lawsuit for revealing the HIV status of 6000 patients in Ohio.
Physician-Family Conflicts Common When Caring for Patients in a Vegetative State
April 02, 2018Differing visions and expectations often lead to clashes between medical teams and families of patients diagnosed with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome.
Personal Health Info Found in Recycling at 5 Hospitals
March 29, 2018Nearly 600 kg of recycling was recovered, including over 2500 documents with personally identifiable health information.
Psychology in the Age of Trump: Does the Goldwater Rule Still Apply?
March 21, 2018The Goldwater Rule has proven remarkably resilient and has not been seriously challenged for half a century — until now.
Parental Consent as a Barrier to HPV Vaccination: Should Adolescents Call the Shots?
March 20, 2018Healthcare providers contend that allowing adolescents to consent to HPV vaccination without parental approval is ethically justifiable.
Point and Counterpoint: Ethics and Legality of Pediatric Euthanasia
March 09, 2018Belgium and the Netherlands currently allow variations on pediatric euthanasia, stoking the worldwide debate surrounding the practice.
Genetics: To Test or Not to Test? That is the Question
March 06, 2018Even when presuming that there is a "right to test," concerns arise that patients will be misguided in their decisions based on poorly validated direct to consumer genetic tests.
Complex Issues Surround the Migration of International Medical Graduates to High-Income Countries
March 02, 2018International medical graduates are a key resource for both the United States and their home country.
"Deemed Consent" to Facilitate Organ Procurement: Is It Ethical?
February 28, 2018A "deemed consent" law was recently enacted in Wales as part of efforts to improve rates of organ procurement.
For the Greater Good: Examining the Ethical Obligation of Public Participation in Health Research
February 28, 2018Although privacy issues are important, public interest in innovation and affordable healthcare may take precedence.
Religious Exemption vs Public Health: Taking Vaccination Exemptions Too Far
February 27, 2018Lawyers make things complicated — including policies requiring mandatory influenza vaccinations for healthcare workers.
Drawing the Line: Where Religious Liberty Ends and Patient Rights Begin
February 23, 2018The concept of conscientious objection has been appropriated by health care professionals who refuse to perform certain tasks related to female reproductive health.
Promises, Challenges of Digital Medication Adherence Monitoring Revealed
February 21, 2018Abilify MyCite sends messages to a removable patch to track patient medication adherence.
What's Torture Good For? Absolutely Nothing
February 16, 2018Torture has always had its place as a two-faced mythical creature in American society, but no neuroscientific backing for the practice exists.
An Epidemic of Violence: Treating a Contagious Health Problem
February 15, 2018Researchers argue that violence is best treated as an epidemic health problem.
Successful Academia-Intelligence Agency Classroom Collaboration Raises Ethical Concerns
February 13, 2018Researchers partnered with the National Security Agency to examine social, ethical, and pedagogical considerations surrounding prototype intelligence technology use.
Researchers Call for Widespread Inclusion of Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures in Manuscripts
February 05, 2018More than 20% of articles included in a cross-sectional study included conflict-of-interest disclosures.
When Hard Cases Make Bad Law: Evidence-Based Recommendations vs Legal Precedence for Resuscitation of Premature Infants
February 02, 2018The decision to resuscitate an extremely premature newborn is governed by a patchwork of state-level laws that are not necessarily grounded in evidence-based medicine.
Sexual Orientation Monitoring in Health Care Settings: When Should Clinicians Ask?
January 31, 2018Two clinicians sound off regarding proposed sexual orientation monitoring in health and social care settings.
Federal Right-to-Try Legislation Could Undermine FDA's Public Health Mission
January 26, 2018Recent "right-to-try" legislation passed in the Senate could diminish the FDA's public health mission.
Counseling Patients About Firearms in the Home: What Is the Physician's Role?
January 23, 2018Physicians should be aware of state laws pertaining to firearm counseling, temporary transfer, and safe storage.
A New Code of Ethics for Clinical Trial Research in the 21st Century
January 10, 2018Recent revisions to the Common Rule deal largely with improving transparency of informed consent while introducing a new concept of "broad consent" that can expand the reach of research.
Psychiatric Genetic Testing May Be Beneficial for Some Minors
December 31, 2017Researchers identified 5 nonmedical themes that affect the decision to implement predictive genetic testing for psychiatric conditions.
Overdiagnosis in Medicine: What We Owe Our Patients
December 29, 2017Physicians need to think about ethical problems in a way that allows a balance of competing priorities and also leaves room for personalized decision-making.
System-Level Reform Needed to Appropriately Allocate Resources for Hospital-Dependent Patients
December 29, 2017Reform is necessary to balance the health needs of hospital-dependent patients with those of the larger hospital community.
Nutrition Research Requires More Transparency of Conflicts of Interest
December 27, 2017Researchers should disclose conflicts of interest that present bias toward a specific organization, industry, or dietary behavior.
Should Physicians Facilitate Lethal Injection Executions?
December 21, 2017While some support physician participation in lethal injection, others view it as a clear violation of the Hippocratic Oath.
Planning Clinical Trial Designs for Future Public Health Epidemics
December 20, 2017Investigators should plan for future public health epidemics so that consensus about trial design and conduct among agencies and local communities can be reached before the next outbreak.