Shared decision making honors patient autonomy, particularly for preference-sensitive care decisions and even when patients have impaired decision-making capacity.
AMA J Ethics. 2020;22(5):E358-364. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.358.
Katelyn G. Bennett, MD and Christian J. Vercler, MD, MA
Plastic surgeons who use patient images for online advertising should ensure informed consent and not exploit the patient-physician relationship for gain.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(4):328-335. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.4.ecas1-1804.
Monitoring surgeons’ capacities over time are rooted in professional duties to protect patients’ safety. Aging surgeons should undergo assessments and be encouraged to stop practicing before their diminished skill becomes too risky.
AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(10):986-992. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.10.ecas2-1610.
Plastic surgeons’ use of patient images on social media should conform to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ advertising and image use guidelines.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(4):379-383. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.4.msoc3-1804.
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.
Pringl Miller, MD, Preeti R. John, MD, MPH, and Sabha Ganai, MD, PhD, MPH
A surgeon’s duty is to identify goals of care, including those about quality of life, from a patient’s perspective and to consider how to achieve them.
AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(10):E778-782. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2021.778.