Ethical Issues in Medicine

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.

Authors at Gynecologic Oncology Meeting Fail to Disclose Industry Relationships

Publish Date November 20, 2020

Most study authors at the 2019 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting failed to disclose industry relationships, a study found.

The Place of Virtue Ethics in a Pandemic

Publish Date November 3, 2020

An appreciation of the virtues one wishes to embody can help to navigate the complex ethical dilemmas physicians may face during the COVID-19 crisis.

Ethical Considerations in Prescribing Unproven Therapies for COVID-19

Publish Date September 1, 2020

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

Helping Patients Quit Smoking: A Road Map for Clinicians

Publish Date July 3, 2020

Successful smoking cessation involves a 2-pronged approach, since there are 2 components to smoking – physiological and behavioral, according to Nervana Elkhadragy, PharmD, MS, TTS, of Purdue University, College of Pharmacy, Indianapolis.

Explaining Treatment Risks to Patients

Publish Date July 2, 2020

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