Protecting patients rather than informed consent should be the goal when the complexity of information overwhelms patients’ decision-making capacity.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Margaret Cocks, MD, PhD, a third-year resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital, interviewed Theonia Boyd, MD, about ethical issues pathologists face when conducting autopsies and obtaining specimens.

Physicians should provide women considering abortion after Down syndrome screening with unbiased information and not attempt to influence their decision.

Amendments to the Common Rule and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) raise questions about broad consent and sale of health data.

Alternatives to suing could help open communication between injured patients and clinicians.

Transplant physicians must respect indecisive patients’ autonomy while continuing to educate them during their progress towards transplantation.

Despite clear donor consent, health professionals must communicate clearly about death to family members to avoid confusion.

Social media platforms and organizational websites that facilitate organ procurement should respect potential donors’ autonomy and confidentiality.

Withholding information from patients during an informed consent process is ethically unacceptable. Patients may restrict the amount of information they wish to receive or designate someone else to receive the information for them.

Although there are valid reasons to suspend do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders during surgery, the decision to do so should be discussed with patients and should take into account their goals and objectives.