The communication training program at University of Washington Medical Center aims to develop best practices for effective pathology communication.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Margaret Cocks, MD, PhD, a third-year resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital, interviewed Theonia Boyd, MD, about ethical issues pathologists face when conducting autopsies and obtaining specimens.

The authors address the medical ethics question of whether autopsy is necessary from Cartesian and sociocultural perspectives and how to obtain consent.

A neglected topic in medical ethics is the unique barriers to error disclosure faced by anatomic and clinical pathologists.

Clinicians caring for pediatric patients can face a dilemma of whether to respect parental autonomy or uphold the patient’s best interests.

Physicians have a responsibility to balance patient confidentiality and full disclosure to the family of adolescent patients with eating disorders in order to provide optimal treatment.