Ethics

Strategies for Managing Uncertainty in Patient Care

For many health care professionals, successfully managing uncertainty means recognizing that surety is complicated and illusory and knowledge is iterative and provisional rather than definitive.

Moral Judgments and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Whatever strategy you employ to encourage vaccinations, it is important to be respectful and empathize with your patient’s concerns and perspectives.

Ethical Considerations in Prescribing Unproven Therapies for COVID-19

Meeting public demand for an urgently needed effective medication quickly and safely during a pandemic involves difficult tradeoffs.

Researchers Reveal Racial Disparities in Access to Remdesivir for Patients With Cancer and COVID-19

Black patients were half as likely to receive remdesivir as White patients, according to researchers from the CCC19.

Keeping Health Information Secure in the Cloud

Putting information in the cloud can be a good move for a physician’s practice — but only if done well.

Explaining Treatment Risks to Patients

Physicians should frame treatment options by their “harms and benefits,” not by their “risks and benefits.”

Can Advocacy Groups Provide Useful Patient-Centered Data?

A survey presented during ASCO20 found that patients who considered themselves adequately informed felt “in control” most days.

ACP: US Response to COVID-19 Identifies Inequalities in Health Care System

The American College of Physicians statement outlines how the “status quo” created health inequalities and prevented the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and outlines steps on how to move forward.

Apologies, Properly Made, Go Far in Maintaining Physician-Patient Relationship

From an ethical perspective, disclosing adverse events to patients is predicated on the idea that physicians have obligations to tell the truth, but physicians may worry that apologizing will incur greater responsibility for liability.

African-Americans More Likely to Be Hospitalized With COVID-19

African-American patients have an increased likelihood of hospitalization for COVID-19.

Housing Insecurity May Increase Risk for Incident Kidney Disease

Housing insecurity is tied to an increased risk for developing albuminuria.

Examining Adherence to Patients’ Life-Sustaining Treatment Orders

A study aimed to identify associations between Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment orders and intensive care measures in decedents with chronic ill-ness.

Research Ethics Review Process Inconsistent Across Countries

Guidelines on research ethics review vary significantly between countries, according to study data published in Health Research Policy and Systems.

How to Avoid Racial Bias in Artificial Intelligence

As excitement grows around AI and the benefits it could have in healthcare, concerns remain about the technology’s pitfalls.

Hospitals Suing Over Unpaid Medical Bills Hurts Our Patients

We make a promise to do good by our patients, but what does it mean to do harm? Should we include socioeconomic harm in this discussion?

Updating Disclosures for Authors of Medical Journals

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors is taking steps to identifying potential conflicts of interest through changes to a key form.

Medical Assistance in Dying: A Case Study on Conscientious Objection and Moral Distress

In the context of medical assistance in dying (MAiD), a framework allowing clinicians to communicate their ethical concerns may have benefits for both patients and providers.

Navigating Patient Pain Under Stricter Opioid Prescribing Laws

Investigators explored concerns with regard to opioid prescribing in compliance with new regulations in a commentary piece.

Drug Price-Fixing Charge Laid Against ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli

So-called “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli faces charges of price fixing of a drug used to treat the potentially fatal condition toxoplasmosis.

Ethical Concerns Plague Online, Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Companies

Online direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical companies can give rise to distinct ethical challenges including potential conflicts of interest for prescribing physicians.