More transparent pricing would allow patients and families to make better decisions, but there are limitations to how reliably it promotes efficiency and market discipline.
AMA J Ethics. 2022; 24(11):E1069-1074. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.1069.
Fragmentation in US health care delivery streams and shortcomings in formal quality measures mean that transparency could be more useful to policymakers and regulators than patients.
AMA J Ethics. 2022; 24(11):E1075-1082. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.1075.
When confidential medical information can prevent a serious harm to a third party, the patient’s prima facie right to confidentiality must be balanced against the physician’s prima facie obligation to prevent serious harm to that third party.
AMA J Ethics. 2015; 17(9):819-825. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.9.ecas1-1509.
Vaccination rates among adolescents and young adults, for whom the risk of infection is greatest, remain lower than was true for other vaccines in their first years. And vaccination rates among males is extremely low.
AMA J Ethics. 2015; 17(9):854-857. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.9.msoc1-1509.