Literature Review

Physician pioneer in medical ethics dies: Howard Brody, MD, PhD Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 7/29/24 Howard Brody, MD, PhD, a pioneer in the field of medical ethics, died July 22 at 75, KnoxTNToday.com reported July 29. Dr. Brody earned doctorates in both medicine and philosophy and specialized in topics such as medical ethics, end-of-life care and the placebo effect. He practiced family medicine and served as director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, as well as director of the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences at East Lansing-based Michigan State University. Dr. Brody is survived by his wife and two children. 

Cultivating humility, making connections in a contentious world Tallahassee Democrat; by Rev. Candace McKibben; 7/27/24 The first time I remember hearing about “cultural humility” was some years ago when I served as a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Team at Big Bend Hospice. I recall reading an article by Silvia Austerlic, a Bereavement Manager and Hospice Latino community liaison, at Hospice of Santa Cruz County. She explained what is required to relate in the best interests of patients and families is not “cultural competence,” which is where our team had been focused, but “cultural humility.” “Cultural competence,” while it may be well-meaning, is a framework to help providers understand, appreciate, and work with individuals from diverse cultures. It is focused on gaining knowledge. “Cultural humility,” on the other hand, is focused on relationships. ... Yet another form of humility that seems critically important to me in our time is “religious humility.” This form of humility involves celebrating the inherent dignity of every individual, regardless of their religious affiliation.

Daughter stole $25K using [dying] father's credit, debit cardsLatrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, PA; by Joseph Bell; 6/6/24 A Vandergrift woman is facing multiple felony charges after she racked up over $25,000 in credit and debit card debt using her father’s accounts. According to court records, 44-year-old Kimberly Sue Shaw of Hancock Avenue is accused of using three of her father’s credit and debit cards for unauthorized purchases, in addition to transferring a sum of money from one of his bank accounts to another while he was hospitalized and later under hospice care. The defendant’s father, Dennis Lee Barger of Washington Township, died May 2.Editor's Note: Often, we think of elder abuse as being physical harm. However, it includes much more, and your interdisciplinary team members must be trained to signs, assessments, interventions, and safety (for the patient and self). Definitions are available on the CDC's "About Abuse of Older Persons" webpage. These definitions include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, and financial abuse.

Coercive careSTAT; by Eric Boodman; 5/21/24For decades, physicians have steered sickle cell patients toward sterilization. I want to bring to your attention a deeply disturbing but vital series of stories STAT is publishing beginning today. It reveals that an injustice often relegated to the distant past persists to this day: For decades, physicians have steered sickle cell patients toward sterilization, their stories echoing the ugly history of eugenics in America. This series had its origins when reporter Eric Boodman read a research paper about the increased risk of pregnancy complications associated with sickle cell disease, which is most prevalent among people of African descent. As he began interviewing physicians and patients, they kept telling him about people who’d been discouraged from having kids — and in some cases, felt pressured to have sterilizations they weren't sure they wanted.Publisher's Note: This series of articles may require subscription.

When doctors withhold futile treatments, that isn’t ‘assisted dying’ The Guardian; by Dr. James Haslam; 5/15/24 [Commentary / Letter] I write in response to Dr Jagat Aulakh’s letter (A form of assisted dying already happens in hospitals, 8 May). It must be made clear that withholding or withdrawing futile treatments is not and never has been assisted dying. Stopping – or not starting – treatments that are not wanted, are not working or are not worthwhile is good medicine and the law of the land. Whereas “assisted dying” is the modern euphemism for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, both forms of medicalised killing [the author's choice of words]. ... Intentions are important. ...Editor's Note: This thoughtful response puts forth ethical support against Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), also known as "physican assisted suicide." Likely, different opinions can be inflammatory among your hospice and palliative employees, board, community, and more personally among your family and friends. As hospice and palliative leaders, we must address this issue with respectful dialogue, critical thinking, case studies, personal beliefs and values, empathy, and humanity.

Nurse pleads guilty to 22 counts of patient murder, attempted murder Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 5/2/24 Heather Pressdee, a Pennsylvania nurse, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and 19 counts of attempted homicide, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported May 1. Ms. Pressdee pleaded guilty on May 2 in an ongoing hearing that is expected to go until May 3. She was given three consecutive life sentences and 380 to 760 years consecutively. Ms. Pressdee, 41, was first charged in May 2023 in connection with the mistreatment of three nursing home patients while working at Quality Life Services in Chicora, Pa., including two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder. In November, she was charged in connection with the mistreatment of 19 additional patients that were in her care at five different facilities since 2020. 

The moral compass of medicine: Exploring ethical dilemmas Medscape, by Lambeth Hochwald; 4/23/24 While the ethical conflicts discussed in medical school once focused primarily on patient privacy, end-of-life issues, and conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical companies, today, the list of ethical dilemmas facing physicians has risen to include everything from gender care and vaccine issues to weight loss drug access and abortion regulations in some states. ... So, what happens when a physician’s expertise clashes with local, state, or national politics?

Houston hospital says doctor’s changes to a database made patients ineligible for liver transplants NBC News 13; by Jamie Stengle and Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press; 4/12/24 A Houston hospital has halted its liver and kidney transplant programs after it says a doctor manipulated a database for liver transplant patients, making them ineligible to receive a new organ. ... Data from OPTN [The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network] shows that four patients died or became too ill for a transplant in 2021, 11 in 2022, 14 in 2023, and so far this year, that number was at five.

AHA seeks federal probe of MultiPlan, insurers Modern Healthcare, by Michael McAuliff; 4/9/24 The American Hospital Association wants the Labor Department to investigate the analytics company MultiPlan and its large insurer clients to determine whether they engage in business practices that disadvantage patients and providers. According to a New York Times investigation published Sunday, MultiPlan and customers such as UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and Cigna boost their finances by dispensing low payments to out-of-network providers and burdening patients with large bills.

‘We’re the telescope looking forward’: Medical ethicists ask tough questions as part of $66 million research project CU Department of Medicine, by Mark Harden; 4/5/24 In the original “Jurassic Park” movie, after the process of bringing dinosaurs back to life is explained to a team of consultants, one of them voices a warning: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” University of Colorado Department of Medicine faculty members will be asking the “should” question years before there’s an answer to “could.” They’ve joined in a nationwide study of whether tiny, battery-powered electric devices and genetic material, swallowed in capsule form, could one day replace surgery or injections as treatments for metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

Chicago area nurse gets 2 years in prison for stealing morphine from sick patientsCBS News TV 2, Chicago; by Acacia Hernandez; 4/4/24A northwest suburban nurse was sentenced in court on Thursday to two years in federal prison for stealing morphine from her patients, some of whom were terminally ill. Sarah Diamond, 31, of Woodstock, was accused of targeting the most vulnerable, including hospice patients living out their final days. In 2021, she removed liquid morphine from bottles that had been prescribed to at least five hospice patients and replaced it with saline. Prosecutors said she took the medication for her own personal use.

Survey shines light on health care discrimination against LGBTQ+ people  KFF Health News; 4/3/24Members of the LGBTQ+ community are twice as likely to experience discrimination in health care, a survey found. ... The survey, conducted by KFF, noted that members of the LGBTQ community have historically faced disparities while receiving health care, including challenges to accessing mental and physical health care. Editor's Note: This article includes specific examples from Utah, Colorado, and New Hampshire.

Some prepaid funeral expenses to southern Colorado funeral home being investigated CBS TV 11 News, by Melissa Henry; 3/29/24A man and his wife wonder whether or not they will ever get more than $7,000 dollars back for prepaid funeral expenses after paying Return to Nature Funeral Home. Jon and Carie Hallford are at the center of an investigation in which they are accused of abuse of a corpse, money laundering, theft, and forgery after officials say 189 bodies were found improperly stored at a building tied to the couple’s business in Penrose.