Labels commonly used in clinical settings, like “elective” or “therapeutic,” influence how we think about the justifiability of abortion. We talk with Professor Katie Watson and Dr Maryl Sackeim about how the language clinicians use to describe abortion can affect patients’ experiences and even cause harm.
Two pediatric cases highlight risks of prolonging anesthetic exposure for training purposes and prompt questions about influences of surgical training on outcomes.
AMA J Ethics. 2020;22(4):E267-275. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.267.
A 3-step analgesic ladder was introduced in 1986 and needs change. Surgical interventions could reduce opioid use and motivate expansion of current pain management approaches.
AMA J Ethics. 2020;22(8):E695-701. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.695.
Eman Mubarak, MPH, Victoria Turner, MSW, Andrew G. Shuman, MD, Janice Firn, PhD, LMSW, and Daicia Price, PhD, LMSW
Antiracist approaches to decriminalizing acute exacerbations of mental illness require clinicians’ engagement in educating, training, and policy making.
AMA J Ethics. 2022;24(8):E788-794. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.788.
This commentary on a case considers a transgender patient’s mental health and risk for DVT in ethical decision making about feminizing gender-affirming hormone therapy.
AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(6):E386-390. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2023.386.