Not all cultural traditions have the same conception of personhood. In Confucianism, self-individuation takes place only through engagement with others in the context of one’s social roles and relationships.
The history of Western medicine chronicles a tension between ideologies of patient care—the holistic Hippocratic view and the specialization view, with a depersonalization of the patient that coincides with the rise of pathologic anatomy in the early modern era.
Medical students’ moral distress about end-of-life cases can be reduced through ethics consultation and ethics rounds, narrative reflection, and mentoring.
AMA J Ethics. 2017; 19(6):585-594. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.6.stas1-1706.
The DSM-5 Task Force’s handling of the ethical controversy over the bereavement exclusion demonstrates the need for more inclusive deliberative processes.
AMA J Ethics. 2017; 19(2):192-198. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.2.pfor2-1702.
When patients express overt racism, caregivers need to feel safe and supported. The scope of organizations’ responsibilities to make that happen needs to be clearly defined.
AMA J Ethics. 2019; 21(6):E499-504. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2019.499.
Ethical questions raised during “immersions” include scope of practice, continuity of care, and erosion of local health systems. This is a perspective of one volunteer in a related field.
AMA J Ethics. 2019; 21(9):E815-822. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2019.815.
Dichotomies, such as reconstructive vs aesthetic surgery and medical vs cosmetic dermatology, can distort meanings of surgical procedures. This can compromise the value of procedures themselves and practices for their reimbursement.
AMA J Ethics. 2018; 20(12):E1188-1194. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.1188.
Women who are pregnant might not treat their mental illnesses because they overestimate risks of medication and underestimate risks of leaving their illness untreated.
AMA J Ethics. 2016; 18(6):614-623. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.6.stas1-1606.