Devan Stahl, PhD, MDiv and Christian J. Vercler, MD, MA
Social and cultural influences significantly contribute to our conceptions of healthy and pathological anatomy, and surgeons play critical roles in how these influences are expressed in clinical settings and social media.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(4):384-391. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.4.msoc4-1804.
Andrew M. Courtwright, MA and Mia Wechsler Doron, MTS, MD
A positive right to parenthood obligates others to support a person’s attempt to become a parent. Do physicians have a duty to assist their patients’ procreative efforts, and, if so, in what ways?
Should a family’s ability to afford follow-up care for a child who needs “miracle surgery” play a role in the physician’s decision to operate? Would the answer change depending on the patient’s immigration status?
Although physicians do not have legitimate authority over patients, professional associations may have such authority over physicians, even nonmembers.
AMA J Ethics. 2017;19(2):207-213. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.2.sect1-1702.
William J. Rifkin, Rami S. Kantar, MD, Safi Ali-Khan, Natalie M. Plana, J. Rodrigo Diaz-Siso, MD, Manos Tsakiris, PhD, MSc, and Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS
Facial transplantation provides a viable option for those patients with severe facial defects who are more likely to adapt to their new facial appearance.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(4):309-323. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.4.peer1-1804.
Pharmacologic interventions might help physicians overcome cognitive deficits resulting from loss of sleep while on call or help them retain more details about the patients under their care.
Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD, Laura B. Dunn, MD, and Laura Weiss Roberts, MD, MA
Calibrating a machine learning model with data from a local setting is key to predicting psychosis outcomes. Clinicians also need to understand an algorithm’s limitations and disclose clinically and ethically relevant information to patients.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(9):E804-811. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.804.
Abraar Karan, MD, Daniel DeUgarte, MD, and Michele Barry, MD
Responsibility for physician “brain drain” can be attributed to the resource-poor countries that lose talent, the wealthy recruiting countries, and individuals.
AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(7):665-675. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.7.ecas1-1607.