Medical expertise includes knowledge of modern interventions as well as the incorporation of ethical considerations and patient goals as they relate to treatment decisions.
The general responsibilities of bioethicists include consulting on clinical ethics issues, sitting on hospital ethics committees, engaging in policy development, and educating others about ethics.
Several recent court cases illustrate how some states are attempting to mandate physician reporting of all underage sexual activity as instances of child abuse.
An adolescent medicine fellow reviews the HEADSS assessment and provides a list of sample questions to ask adolescent patients when conducting a medical history.
Jalayne J. Arias, JD, MA and Kathryn L. Weise, MD, MA
Even when external factors such as nonaccidental injury weigh heavily on clinicians' perceptions, they should not lose focus on the patient's best interest when deciding whether to continue or withdraw treatment.