AMA Journal of Ethics

What Does It Mean for Medical School Admissions to Be Socially Accountable?

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…

Ethics Talk: How Medicalization Limits Public Health Effectiveness

This activity is comprised of five multiple-choice questions based on the content of an AMA Journal of Ethics podcast about how medicalization of public health undermines effective community-based governance responses. The featured guest is Dr Paula Lantz, the James B…

Is Organ Retransplantation Among Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Just?

Numerous undocumented children in the United States with end-stage renal disease undergo kidney transplantation funded by charitable donation or state-sponsored Medicaid. However, when these funding sources expire by adulthood, most are unable to pay for follow-up appointments and immunosuppressive medications…

Should Immigration Status Information Be Included in a Patient’s Health Record?

The documentation of immigration status in patient records poses a challenge to clinicians. On one hand, recording this social determinant of health can facilitate continuity of care and improved communication among clinicians. On the other, it might expose patients or…

Public Accommodation Laws and Gender Panic in Clinical Settings

Public accommodation laws (PALs) are used to address discrimination against minorities. There is broad discussion about using such laws to either protect or prohibit access to sex-segregated spaces for transgender people. Health care facilities are subject to PALs, which affect…