AMA Journal of Ethics

Where’s the Value in Preoperative Covenants Between Surgeons and Patients?

Values, preferences, and goals all affect patient autonomy. Their meanings are often conflated, so this article clarifies them and also distinguishes between hope and wish. Ethical investigation of preoperative and postoperative clinician family communication in surgical intensive care units is…

When Should Neuroendovascular Care for Patients With Acute Stroke Be Palliative?

Noncurative surgeries intended to relieve suffering during serious illness or near end of life have been analyzed across palliative settings. Yet sparse guidance is available to inform clinical management decisions about whether, when, and which interventions should be offered when…

What Might a Good Compassionate Force Protocol Look Like?

This article focuses on uses of force in clinical settings after a triggering event a behavioral or medical crisis and considers how force should be implemented. The clinical stakes are high, as force can undermine therapeutic capacity in patient-clinician relationships,…

Ethics Talk: Managing Health Care AI “Megarisks”

This activity is comprised of five multiple-choice questions based on the content of an AMA Journal of Ethics podcast on artificial intelligence risks for health care rise management. The podcast consists of an interview with John Banja, PhD, professor and…

Ethics Talk: Equitable Allocation of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine

In this video edition of Ethics Talk, journal editor in chief, Dr Audiey Kao, talks with Dr Ruth Faden about how to fairly distribute any potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine when supply is limited.