Ethical Issues in Medicine

Experts Disagree on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for Health Care Providers

Publish Date September 30, 2021

Experts outline benefits and detriments of COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Health Care Disproportionately Spent on White Americans

Publish Date September 16, 2021

White Americans benefit from greater than average spending on preventive care versus non-White populations

To Return or Not Return: What the Shopping Cart Dilemma Can Teach Us

Publish Date September 9, 2021

Ethics asks us to critically reflect on our judgments to determine the right thing to do.

Reasons for Cancer Clinical Trial Withdrawal Often Not Understood

Publish Date September 1, 2021

A structured interview study sought to understand patient experiences after being withdrawn from a cancer clinical trial.

Improving Patient Safety by Promoting a ‘Just Culture’

Publish Date July 2, 2021

Health care professionals should know they are accountable for their actions but also feel comfortable that they will not be blamed for systems errors that are beyond their control.

JAMA Journals Editor-in-Chief Steps Down After Deputy’s Racism Comments

Publish Date June 3, 2021

AMA investigating how podcast and tweet, which contained controversial statements, were developed, reviewed, and published

Strategies for Managing Uncertainty in Patient Care

Publish Date May 4, 2021

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.

Sexist, Racial Microaggressions Against Surgeons Are Prevalent

Publish Date April 20, 2021

Sexist and racial/ethnic microaggressions against female and minority surgeons and anesthesiologists are prevalent and linked to burnout.

Poll: Despite Pandemic’s Toll, Many Older Adults Do Not Have Living Wills

Publish Date April 20, 2021

Only 7% of respondents said COVID-19 had motivated them to have a conversation with loved ones about their wishes if they became severely ill

But Is it Fair? Bioethics, COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, and Advocacy

Publish Date February 11, 2021

We speak with Mildred Solomon, EdD, President of the Hastings Center and Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where she directs the school’s Fellowship in Bioethics, about the COVID-19 pandemic, health equity, and vaccine distribution.