Ethics: Today's Hot Topics

• Hope Is Fine, but Reality Is Best in End-of-Life Care   Bioethicist Art Caplan, PhD, says we need to end the invasive and intrusive treatments for those on the verge of death.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, May 11, 2020
• Should We Tone Down Social Distancing to Help the US Economy?   Dr Art Caplan discusses the balance between minimizing economic damage and the need to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, May 06, 2020
• When to Restore Medical Services While We Still Fight COVID-19   Bioethicist Art Caplan discusses guidelines for deciding how to restore hospital services while not taking away from the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, April 27, 2020
• It's Too Dangerous to Prescribe Off-Label Drugs for COVID-19   Dr Art Caplan discusses off-label use of drugs to treat SARS-CoV-2 and the importance of conducting trials now to help gather information about therapeutic options.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, April 21, 2020
• Should We Refuse to Recognize Docs Who Try Human Gene Editing?   Dr Art Caplan discusses ethical considerations regarding gene editing and suggests effective punishments to better control this technology.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, April 20, 2020
• Who Gets a Ventilator? Rationing Aid in COVID-19   Bioethicist Art Caplan talks about the key factors that can come into play when deciding who gets scarce resources for treating COVID-19.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, April 08, 2020
• 'I Refuse to See a Doc Who Supports THAT Political Figure!'   Dr Art Caplan discusses whether patients can refuse to see a doctor with conflicting political views.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, March 03, 2020
• Even Very Old People Deserve Aggressive Medical Care   Bioethicist Art Caplan attacks the belief that an old person no longer deserves medical interventions for serious conditions.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, February 18, 2020
• A Test Predicts Your Death Date: Should Insurers Find Out?   Bioethicist Art Caplan discusses the development of a biomarker test for predicting death and the potential dangers for third-party interests in the results.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, January 30, 2020
• Don't Make Mass Violence Victims Beg for Money for Medical Bills   Bioethicist Art Caplan discusses the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso and the subsequent need for affordable healthcare for the victims.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, December 16, 2019
• Med Students Must Learn to Deal With Criticism and Failures   Dr Art Caplan discusses the reality of dealing with difficult situations in medicine and his recommendations for developing skills as a trainee.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, November 25, 2019
• Is the Wellness Industry Friend or Faux?   Dr Art Caplan discusses the wellness industry and its impact on people's beliefs about health.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, November 19, 2019
• Whose Rights Come First: Doctors' or Patients'?   Bioethicist Art Caplan, PhD, discusses how to handle physicians' conscientious objection in medicine.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, November 05, 2019
• If Your Patients Reject the Flu Shot: How to Urge Them On   Dr Art Caplan addresses common arguments against the flu shot and highlights the importance of annual vaccination.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, October 09, 2019
• Trump Should Get Kudos for Looking at Kidney Dialysis, Transplant   Dr Art Caplan discusses President Trump's ideas regarding re-examination of dialysis and kidney transplant in the US, and the need to improve access to immunosuppressive drugs post-transplant.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, August 30, 2019
• Stop Trying to Soften Bad News for Patients   Dr Art Caplan says it's unfair to patients to try to 'spare' them from the reality of a serious or terminal condition.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, August 23, 2019
• Minor Teens Shouldn't Need Permission to Get the HPV Vaccine   Dr Art Caplan says teenagers should be able to receive the HPV vaccine without parental permission.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, August 16, 2019
• Should You Use Medical Data Acquired From Evil Activities?   Dr Art Caplan discusses the difficult decision to use information acquired from evil activities to possibly save a patient's life.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, August 05, 2019
• Should You Opt Out of Patient Care That Offends Your Morals?   Dr Art Caplan discusses potential problems in allowing healthcare professionals to refuse services to patients based on conscientious objection.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, July 30, 2019
• Abortion Access: 'A Heartbeat Doesn't Make You a Person'   Abortion 'heartbeat bills' have it wrong, according to bioethicist Dr Art Caplan. Here's why.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, July 15, 2019