Dr Charles E. Binkley joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article: "How Should Surgeons Communicate About Palliative and Curative Intentions, Purposes, and Outcomes?"

Dr Myrick C. Shinall, Jr joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article: “Aren’t Surgery and Palliative Care Kind of Opposites?”

Drs Michael Young, Robert Regenhardt, and Leonard Sokol join Ethics Talk to discuss their article, coauthored with Dr Thabele Leslie-Mazwi: "When Should Neuroendovascular Care for Patients With Acute Stroke Be Palliative?"

Two commentaries respond to a case about apnea testing to confirm death by neurologic criteria.

The risks of misinformation being spread through online patient forums can be mitigated by communication strategies aimed at physicians and organizations.

For many physicians, lack of understanding about brain death leads to confusion and muddles interactions with patients’ loved ones at the end of life.

The DDR requires organ donors to be dead according to legal criteria prior to organ removal, and it’s rooted in fears of civil and criminal liability.

Criteria in statutes and tests used to diagnose brain death don’t always jibe, and this can undermine public trust in death pronouncements.

Public awareness of brain death is based largely on inaccurate media representations. It’s no wonder so few of us understand brain death.

Death’s legal definition must be responsive to advances in technology, and it must delineate between life and death. Knowing where to draw the line is difficult.