This process of developing EBM-based guidelines and applying them to clinical care highlights the tension between generating unbiased knowledge based on statistical aggregation and the application of this information to individual patients.
The casebook developed by the Bander Center for Medical Business Ethics provides a comprehensive instrument for teaching medical business ethics decision making by exploring the effects of relevant variables on medical practice and research and reflecting on the values and motives that influence the behavior of health care professionals.
AMA J Ethics. 2015; 17(8):744-749. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.8.medu1-1508.
The case of Johnson v Kokemoor illuminates the conflict between patients’ right to informed consent and clinicians’ need to learn through practice, a conflict that possibly could be resolved through greater transparency about clinicians’ experience or experience-dependent medical fees.
Although measures of patient satisfaction are being used to improve patients’ hospital experience, implementing incentives based on these measures may be premature and have unintended consequences for care delivery.
AMA J Ethics. 2015; 17(7):616-621. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.7.ecas3-1507.
The Sustainable Growth Rate was replaced in 2015 by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, which introduced fixed annual physician fee updates and a merit-based incentive payment system.
AMA J Ethics. 2015; 17(11):1053-1058. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.11.pfor1-1511.
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College has integrated health care delivery science, which includes quality improvement and leadership training, into its medical school curriculum.
The Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine seeks candidates with an increased probability of practicing in rural Wisconsin, delivers the curriculum in collaboration with rural partners, and encourages students' interest in rural practice and living.
The American Society of Transplant Surgeons offers web-based educational modules and public discussions to promote exploration of ethical issues in the field.