Rachel Koch, MD, John G. Meara, MD, DMD, MBA, and Anji E. Wall, MD, PhD
Single-procedure interventions with minimal follow-up and clear quality-of-life gain are well suited for surgical mission trips. But not all risks and benefits are easily assessed.
AMA J Ethics. 2019;21(9):E729-734. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2019.729.
Mandating processes that are not evidence based generates distress among patients and clinicians, so physician advocacy in national, state, and local policymaking is key.
AMA J Ethics. 2020;22(8):E668-674. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.668.
AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Natasha Dolgin, an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, interviewed Dorry Segev, MD, PhD, about organ allocation policy and geographic disparities in access, possible ways to maximize equity, and advice physicians should give their patients between policy changes.
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?
The total concentration, power tools, and high stakes of the OR provided an exciting escape from the world I was supposed to occupy and from which I was supposed to derive my deepest satisfaction as a woman.
The authors address the medical ethics question of whether autopsy is necessary from Cartesian and sociocultural perspectives and how to obtain consent.
AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(8):771-778. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.8.ecas2-1608.