There is evidence that children who are unaware of their life-threatening diagnoses do not experience any less distress and anxiety than those who are told, and in some cases they may actually experience more.
The Moseley study found no significant difference between those in the arthroscopic lavage and debridement arm of the study and those in the sham surgery arm.
It would be unwise medically, economically, or ethically to ignore medical details and rely instead on crude placeholders such as age in attempting to use resources most efficiently and effectively.
Geoff Hollett, PhD and Jennie B. Jarrett, PharmD, PhD, MMedEd
The Strategic National Stockpile is a national system maintained by the US federal government to deliver medical supplies during emergencies, and it needs administrative changes.
AMA J Ethics. 2024;26(4):E315-320. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2024.315.