EthicsLab Essentials

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, pointing to the over 118,000 cases of the coronavirus illness in over 110 countries and territories around the world and the sustained risk of further global spread. To discuss some of the ethical issues regarding COVID-19 we are joined by Dr. Ken Iserson […] The post COVID-19: The Ethical Landscape appeared first on Mission Network.

We hear many stories these days about immigration. Certainly, healthcare workers see undocumented individuals in Emergency Rooms or clinics. What is that experience like of being undocumented and needing healthcare? What would be helpful for clinicians to know? Does healthcare ethics have something to say on this topic? Today we hear from two healthcare leaders […] The post Undocumented Patients: Two Journeys appeared first on Mission Network.

Health disparities and health outcomes for African Americans, is egregious… Regarding pain medication, a 2019 published article offered that the pain of African Americans is systematically under-diagnosed and under-treated Our guests today will offer stories and discuss insights on end of life care in the African American community. Our guests in this episode include: Patrick […] The post End of Life Disparities: The African American Community appeared first on Mission Network.

New research findings regarding HIV status will impact how we understand and practice disclosure of HIV status of patients… specifically whether or not to disclose a sick patients’ HIV serostatus to their family or partner. The new research demonstrates that when an HIV-positive person sticks to their treatment, their HIV is undetectable and untransmittable (U=U). […] The post HIV Disclosure: New Ethical Approaches appeared first on Mission Network.

Consider someone leaving a hospital, after their care is completed at that location, to return to their home and local community. As discharge plans are made to continue their care, their healing, their rehabilitation, are there ethical challenges that arise? Can there be biases that shape that plan because of their ability, disability, lack of […] The post Discharge Dilemmas: Patients with Disabilities appeared first on Mission Network.

Brain death is a fundamental ethical topic that is complex and often fraught with emotion. As ethics committees are faced with considerations involving brain death, these cases are often those that stick with professionals the most. Our lead contributor in this episode Becket Gremmels, System Director of Ethics at CHRISTUS Health in Irving TX is […] The post Brain Death: A Foundational Yet Emotional Ethical Concept appeared first on Mission Network.

Why would the question of whether to provide food and water to a patient come up at all? One might assume it is always helpful and never harmful to offer nutrition and hydration to patients. Is that accurate? When might it be appropriate or not appropriate? Our lead contributor in this episode is Alan Sanders, […] The post Feeding Tubes: Are Things What They Seem? appeared first on Mission Network.

Goals of care is a term so common to health care professionals and yet, our guests describe significant clinical experiences in which the lack of discussion around goals of care led to problematic cases. A goals of care conversation is an important element at the foundation of high quality discussions around code status. In this […] The post Goals of Care appeared first on Mission Network.

Informed consent is one of the foundational ethical principles in health care that supports patient autonomy, or stated differently, the patients right to self-determination. More and more the standard for what clinicians should inform patients about the risks benefits and alternatives of treatment are no longer determined by what a responsible body of physicians deems […] The post Informed Consent: Supporting Patient Autonomy appeared first on Mission Network.

The big picture is that 115,000 men, women and children await organ transplants in the United States. Even the largest football stadium in the US could not fit the number of patients on the national transplant waiting list. In 2016, 33,600 transplants brought new life to patients and their families. Since 1988, 683,000 transplants have […] The post Organ Donation: Foundational Ethical Approaches appeared first on Mission Network.

As patients, surrogate decision makers, and clinicians discuss goals of care, questions arise regarding what interventions will physiologically work and what interventions will honor the patient’s values. Do Not Resuscitate Orders are one of the interventions frequently discussed. Our lead contributor on this episode, Mark Repenshek, Executive Director for Ethics & Mission at Hospital Sisters […] The post Do Not Resuscitate Orders: Key Ethical Issues appeared first on Mission Network.

Have you ever experienced an event, a situation or a decision where you felt that your professional integrity had been compromised? It may have occurred because of something you did, something someone else did or simply a number of events that lined up in a way that made you feel that you were between a […] The post Moral Distress and Moral Resiliency-ele appeared first on Mission Network.

Health care ethics committees help patients and clinicians with tough choice decisions. Within this work of clinical ethics consultation, what are practical tools being used to improve their competence and impact? In this episode, our guests present such practical tools that help health care ethics committee members become more competent, become more aware of gaps […] The post Practical Tools Helping Ethics Committees appeared first on Mission Network.

One of the challenging areas in clinical practice today is wanting to honor patient wishes but not being clear on the competency or capacity level a patient with dementia or behavioral health issues. In this episode we explore different challenging situations that ask: a) What is the best assessment of capacity? b) What level of […] The post Beyond Capacity: Assessing Challenging Cases appeared first on Mission Network.