AMA Journal of Ethics^®

When patients are unable to express their wishes and do not have surrogates or advance directives, which and whose values should inform decision making for them? We discuss ethical complexities of caring for unrepresented patients.

When a patient’s preference expresses injustice, how should clinicians respond? We discuss individual and organizational responses.

When evaluating a 10-year-old with leukemia and chemo-induced heart failure for VAD placement, a team considers what to do.

When should ECMO be started and stopped? This month’s Ethics Talk explores ethical challenges of ECMO use in end-of-life care.

Many medical schools are associated with a free clinic. Students who speak and learn Spanish can help fill this gap.

What are key factors for successful partnerships between health care organizations and communities? We discuss strategies for building trust and engaging effectively.

How should AI be incorporated into medical education? We discuss how educators can adapt to rapid change in an ethically complex field.

Undocumented patients can be subject to discrimination, reporting, detention, or deportation in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, so what goes in the record is critical.

Undocumented patients are a vulnerable population, since they often lack access to health insurance and can be afraid to present for care. This month on Ethics Talk, we discuss challenges in caring for undocumented patients with Dr. Mark Kuczewski, Scott Schweikart, and Dr. Nancy Berlinger.

Although undocumented immigrants contribute to the pool of available organs and to the US tax base, they are not eligible for organ transplantation in most US states.