The guidelines for patients’ eligibility for bariatric surgery have not changed since 1991, although recent data suggest there may be indications for broadening application of the surgery.
Emily A. Kuhl, PhD, David J. Kupfer, MD, and Darrel A. Regier, MD, MPH
Revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders aim to ground diagnoses in empirical evidence, make them less stigmatizing, and incorporate assessments of patients' functioning over time.
A discussion of the ethical issues raised by a patient’s request for off-label, prophylactic bariatric surgery to prevent diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM type 2).
While the Model State Public Health Act does much to address inconsistent and outdated state legislation pertaining to infectious disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies, its current form has caused some concern about possible infringement of civil liberties.
A consensus has emerged that the paternalism behind use of the provocative saline infusion test for nonepileptic seizures cannot be justified because the harms to the patient, the physician, and their relationship exceed the benefits.
Physicians have a responsibility to advocate for each patient’s best care, even when doing so entails opposing hospital policy, seeking legal help, and making the case public.
Because of their preferential option for the poor, Catholic hospitals have become known as a "provider of last resort" for uninsured and underinsured citizens. The Catholic Health Association envisions a health care system in which unequal access to care is no longer a burden the poor must bear.