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.
Dr Laura Kolbe joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Drs Ryan H. Nelson, Joelle Robertson-Preidler, Olivia Schuman, and Inmaculada de Melo-Martín: “Is a Video Worth a Thousand Words?”
Dr Esha Bansal joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Drs Saran Kunaprayoon and Linda P. Zhang: “Opportunities for Global Health Diplomacy in Transnational Robotic Telesurgery.”
When deciding whether to offer deep brain stimulation earlier than usual for Parkinson disease, it is important to consider not only the patient’s autonomy but also the validity of the evidence and concepts of harm that are being used to form practice policies.
This case invites us to think about the real and potential risks that surgeons pose to patients. The risk of HIV acquisition from an infected surgeon appears much lower than the risk of nosocomial bacterial infections, even those with lethal potential.