Commentary on  last week’s “Physician Assisted Suicide—Is now the time?” by Antonella Surbone, MD PhD FACP, Ethics Editor, Clinical Correlations.

Last week’s piece on Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) by Dr. Juliana Eng addresses in simple and clear terms an issue that, at times, occupies the front pages of our newspapers or becomes the center of heated public debate or the theme of elaborated ethical argumentations. For long periods, however, the request of some of our patients to be helped in putting an end…

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Juliana Eng MD

Several months ago, the U.K. courts ordered Ken Starmer, Director of Public Prosecutions, to delineate the conditions under which his office would be likely or unlikely to prosecute people who helped friends or relatives kill themselves.  This list of conditions is intended to provide information so that those who wish to assist another commit suicide can make an informed decision.  Yet Section 2(1) of the Suicide Act of 1961 provides: “A person who aids, abets, counsels or procures…

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Commentary on Dr. Cox’s Tales of Survival by Antonella Surbone MD PhD FACP, Ethics Editor

Commenting on Dr. Cox’s honest heartfelt piece is not an easy task and even less so for me, as Ethics Editor. Why? Because before being a trained, published bioethicist, I’m a physician too. I’ve been through medical training and Fellowship in oncology in Italy and in the US: everywhere I have experienced the same doubts and felt the same anguish that Dr. Cox powerfully describes. During my internship,…

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The following is a commentary  on last week’s post, Conscientious Objection in Medicine: A Moral Dilemma, written by Dr. Bradley.

 Commentary by Antonella Surbone, MD PhD FACP, Ethics Editor

The piece by Dr. Bradley raises a highly controversial issue in today’s medicine, physicians’ conscientious objection. Dr. Bradley reviews recent legislature, as well as medical literature, including the underlying ethical argumentation. Unfortunately, the key issue of ethical and moral justification for conscientious objection in medicine is…

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Ishmeal Bradley MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Please also see the commentary by Antonella Surbone, MD PhD FACP, Ethics Editor

Consider this: what would you do if a patient with terminal pancreatic cancer told you, his primary care doctor of twenty years, that he wanted your help to end his life? Or, what if a woman in her first trimester who contracted an infection that threatened the health of her fetus asked you, her obstetrician, to perform an…

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Commentary by Antonella Surbone, MD PhD FACP, NYU Department of Medicine, Clinical Correlations Ethics Section Editor

In October 2008, BMJ published a research article entitled “Prescribing placebo treatments: results of a national survey of US internists and rheumatologists.” Of 679 physicians who responded to a cross sectional mailed survey, over 50% reported having prescribed placebos on a regular basis. Placebos included varied from saline (3%), sugar pills (2%), OTC analgesics (41%), vitamins (38%), antibiotics (13%) and sedatives (13%). According to the authors’ definition, the placebo…

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Commentary by Bani Chander MD, PGY-3.  Reviewed by Antonella Surbone MD PhD FACP, Ethics Section Editor.

On May 21, 2008, president George W. Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) into effect. After 13 years of debate in Congress, the bill finally passed through both the senate and the house nearly unanimously. So what is GINA? This piece of legislation prohibits insurance companies from taking into account genetic conditions or family history when determining risk assessment. In addition, GINA makes it illegal…

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Commentary by Antonella Surbone, MD PhD FACP, Ethics Section Editor

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), passed by the US Congress on May 1st 2008, protects individuals against discrimination by health insurers and employers on the basis of genetic information.(1-4) Genetic information refers to genetic tests of a person’s or a family member up to fourth-degree relatives. Genetic test is any analysis to detect genotypes, genetic mutations or chromosomal changes, not including analysis of proteins or metabolites directly related to a manifested disease.…

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Q: What is the appropriate response for an internist to the phone call from a friend….”I hate to ask you but,….I have this minor problem and could you help me over the phone or in your/my house?” Some of these friends are officially your patient, some are not. I have dealt with this twice already this week.

–Deborah Shapiro MD

A: Commentary by Antonella Surbone MD PhD FACP, NYU Department of Medicine, Ethics Section Editor

The issue of dealing with taking care of family and…

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