Electroconvulsive is an effective treatment option that should remain available for use, with proper ethical safeguards, for the treatment of severe clinical depression.
The gap between surgeons' professional idealism and clinical reality is widening because surgeons fail to keep up with the growing demand for evidence-based surgery.
An ethical case that was eventually decided in the US Supreme Court involves the right of patients to request an independent third-party review if their HMO refuses to authorize treatments or procedures deemed medically necessary.