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Professional Ethics
Forbearance is not humbug!
Friday, December 19th, 2008One hundred sixty-five years ago today, Charles Dickens published what may have been his most famous novel, A Christmas Carol. The story of how the “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous” Ebenezer Scrooge is transformed into a kind-hearted philanthropist through the intervention of the spirits of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come is a holiday classic. [...]
When a minor refuses treatment, what should a doctor do?
Friday, November 21st, 2008A few days ago, the Washington Post Express reported the story of a 13-year-old who wanted to refuse potentially life-saving surgery. The story focused on the question of whether a minor should be allowed to refuse treatment, but I found myself wondering about a different aspect of the story:
What about the ethical dilemma facing the [...]
Is it ethical for doctors to prescribe placebos?
Monday, October 27th, 2008Last week, the British Medical Journal published the surprising results of a new survey of American doctors concerning the use of placebos, harmless vitamins or over-the-counter painkillers that work because a patient thinks they will. According to the Journal, almost half of the doctors surveyed reported that they prescribe placebos two or three times a [...]