Annette Hanson, MD, Ron Pies, MD, and Mark Komrad, MD
Authors respond to “How Should Physicians Care for Dying Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?” by arguing that patients’ motives for accessing death with dignity laws should be thoroughly explored and that temporarily limiting patient autonomy can promote well-being at the end of life.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(11):E1107-1109. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.1107.
Alexander Craig, MPhil and Elizabeth Dzeng, MD, PhD, MPH
Responding to “Added Points of Concern about Caring for Dying Patients,” authors argue that physicians’ refusal to prescribe lethal drugs in accordance with states’ death with dignity laws could damage patient-physician relationships and harm patients.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(11):E1110-1112. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.1110.
Humor and laughter researchers at the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (yep, that’s a thing) not only study why humor helps, but also how it can be skillfully applied.
AMA J Ethics. 2020;22(7):E588-595. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.588.
Thalia Arawi, PhD, Ghassan S. Abu-Sittah, MBChB, and Bashar Hassan
Decolonization of curricula in health professions is key to preparing clinicians to respond with care and competence to vulnerabilities and disease burden exacerbated by conflict.
AMA J Ethics. 2022;24(6):E489-494. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.489.
Awareness of transference reactions, practicing active listening and reflection, pausing, and articulating one’s understanding of another’s emotional motivations can help cultivate deeper patient-clinician relationships at the end of life.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(8):E717-723. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.717.
Furthering clinicians’ understandings of how daily practice can respond to Black patients' experiences can help restore trust and mitigate racial and ethnic health inequity.
AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(6):E480-486. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2021.480.
Health educators have duties to teach patient focus, motivate equity, and cultivate students’ capacity to serve our most vulnerable neighbors, wherever they reside.
AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(11):E858-863. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2021.858.