Empathy has been shown to improve patient care and physician well-being. However, the emotional labor involved in expressing empathy might interfere with experiencing calm, equally important to clinicians’ well-being. This article offers examples of how clinical environments can bolster both…
Two commentaries respond to a case about apnea testing to confirm death by neurologic criteria.
Mismatch between whole-brain death criteria embedded in statutes and accepted tests physicians use to diagnose brain death have clinical and ethical implications that could undermine public trust in death pronouncements. We consider merits and drawbacks of 4 ways to address…
This article considers whether and when a physician is obligated to offer life support to the point of fetal viability to a patient who is brain dead and pregnant. Lack of ethical, legal, and clinical consensus about best practice in…
Brain death differs from traditional circulatory death, and understanding how it differs is important. Public awareness of brain death is based largely on inaccurate media representations, common examples of which are described here. The purpose of this article is to…
Two commentaries respond to a case. Each considers religious or cultural values that sometimes conflict with medical standards of practice or law. These conflicts frequently occur at the end of life when stress and tensions are high and, if not…
Death’s legal definition must be responsive to advances in technology, and it must delineate between life and death. But where to draw the line is difficult to determine. Death’s current legal definition requires irreversible cessation of cardiorespiratory function or irreversible…
Individuals living with disabilities are underrepresented in the physician workforce, despite benefits of inclusion. This article describes how both ableism in admissions processes and expectations set by technical standards can perpetuate harm. The authors advocate for active attention to disability…
Health care workforce diversity is a critical determinant of health equity and the social mission of medical education. Medical schools have a social contract with the public, which provides significant financial support to academic medical centers. Although a focus on…
This activity is comprised of five multiple-choice questions based on the content of an AMA Journal of Ethics podcast about economic incentives driving industrialization of meat. The featured guest is Dave Simon, a lawyer, advocate for sustainable production, and author…
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