Ethical Issues in Medicine

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.

Cultural Humility: A Way to Reduce Health Disparities in the BIPOC Community

Publish Date February 3, 2021

This approach to communication is explained, along with strategies for practicing the approach when treating patients from these communities.

Moral Judgments and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Publish Date March 1, 2021

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

Many Adults Do Not See Link Between Racism, Poorer Health

Publish Date February 3, 2021

Findings revealed in national survey of US adults with family incomes of less than $125,000

Deciding Which Patients Get Treatment First

Publish Date January 7, 2021

Medical ethicist David J. Alfandre, MD, MS, addresses the quandary of deciding who gets priority in the allocation of healthcare resources, an issue of particular relevance today now that COVID-19 vaccinations are underway.

COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation: Ethical Concerns, Practical Challenges

Publish Date December 14, 2020

In the event of a likely scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines, a framework must be developed to inform who should get priority.

Physician Mental Health: The Role of Self-Compassion and Detachment

Publish Date December 4, 2020

Prioritization of patients’ well-being can lead physicians to neglect their own well-being, including their mental health.