Thoughtful Health Care offers a timely antidote to a Health Care climate dominated by endless rules, regulations, mission statements and codes of practice. David Seedhouse explains how simplistic labelling, mindless targets and empty slogans have created a delusion of control and efficiency, obscuring actual patient and carer realities. Using thought-provoking examples from health care and beyond, the book advocates the restoration of thoughtfulness, creativity, and independence in health work. By reading this book, students and practitioners alike will be aided in developing their decision making and critical thinking skills, and ultimately serve those in their care better and with more honesty. The book ends with a powerful and practical toolkit that can be used thoughtfully and effectively by every open-minded health worker. Thoughtful Health Care is for any health worker committed to caring with ethical awareness and practical sensitivity.

Baruch A. Brody has been one of the most important voices in bioethics over the last several decades, asking new and challenging questions about a range of problems, examining recalcitrant issues in novel ways, always with the goal of offering practical solutions to complex problems. This volume presents a sustained philosophical analysis of Brody's contributions to biomedical ethics. Done well, philosophical work can clarify complex issues, facilitate creative problem solving, and lead to real-world solutions to difficult situations. Each contributor carefully and critically explores Brody's writings in biomedical ethics and the philosophy of medicine, illustrating his appreciation that thorough and critical scientific research and philosophical analysis are central to reining in the untutored human desire to ameliorate pain and suffering so that medical treatments and health care policy do more good than harm.

This volume covers a wide range of topics concerning methodological, epistemological, and regulatory-ethical issues around pharmacology. The book focuses in particular on the diverse sources of uncertainty, the different kinds of uncertainty that there are, and the diverse ways in which these uncertainties are (or could be) addressed. Compared with the more basic sciences, such as chemistry or biology, pharmacology works across diverse observable levels of reality: although the first step in the causal chain leading to the therapeutic outcome takes place at the biochemical level, the end-effect is a clinically observable result-which is influenced not only by biological actions, but also psychological and social phenomena. Issues of causality and evidence must be treated with these specific aspects in mind. In covering these issues, the book opens up a common domain of investigation which intersects the deeply intertwined dimensions of pharmacological research, pharmaceutical regulation and the related economic environment. The book is a collective endeavour with in-depth contributions from experts in pharmacology, philosophy of medicine, statistics, scientific methodology, formal and social epistemology, working in constant dialogue across disciplinary boundaries.

In Suffering Presence, ethicist Stanley Hauerwas delivers a well-formed theological perspective that illuminates the moral life, particularly medical care and the care of children and the handicapped.

Ethics in Community Mental Health Care: Commonplace Concerns examines everyday ethical issues that clinicians encounter as they go about their work caring for people who have severe and persistent mental disorders. Individuals (psychiatrists, social workers, case managers, nurses, psychologists, peer counselors, primary care physicians) who serve on the front line of community mental health clinical and social services find that they must deal, on a daily basis, with significant ethical dilemmas that involve personal, social, and policy matters: overstepping personal boundaries and coercive practices, dealing with violence in the home and in the workplace, breaching confidentiality, and ensuring the rights and welfare of vulnerable individuals.

This book prompts and provokes readers to recognize, to analyze, to reflect upon, and to respond to the range of commonplace ethical concerns that arise in community mental health care practice with persons who have mental disorders that may impede their ability to protect their own interests.

Health systems need to set priorities fairly. In one way or another, part of this important task will fall to physicians. How do they make judgments about resource stewardship, and how should they do so? How can they make such decisions in a manner that is compatible with their clinical duties to patients? In this book, philosophers, bioethicists, physicians, lawyers and health policy experts make the case that priority setting and rationing contribute significantly to the possibility of affordable and fair healthcare and that clinicians play an indispensable role in that process. The book depicts the results of a survey of European physicians about their experiences with rationing and other cost containment strategies, and their perception of scarcity and fairness in their health care systems. Responding to and complementing these findings, commentators discuss why resource allocation and bedside rationing is necessary and justifiable. The book explores how bedside rationing relates to clinical judgments about medical necessity and medical indications, marginal benefits, weak evidence based medicine, off-label use. The book highlights how comparative studies of health care systems can advance more effective and fair bedside rationing through learning from one another. From a practical standpoint, the book offers a number of strategies for health care systems and clinicians to work in tandem to allocate and ration resources as fairly as possible: how to foster more attention to fairness when rationing at the bedside, how to avoid exacerbating health disparities when allocating resources, how to teach about bedside rationing to students, how to discuss rationing more explicitly in the public arena and in the doctor's office.

Addressing global health is one of the largest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century, however, this task is becoming even more formidable with the accelerated destruction of the planet. Building on the success of the previous edition, the book outlines how progress towards improving global health relies on understanding its core social, economic, political, environmental and ideological aspects. A multi-disciplinary group of authors suggest not only theoretically compelling arguments for what we must do, but also provide practical recommendations as to how we can promote global health despite contemporary constraints. The importance of cross-cultural dialogue and utilisation of ethical tools in tackling global health problems is emphasised. Thoroughly updated, new or expanded topics include: mass displacement of people; novel threats, including new infectious diseases; global justice; and ecological ethics and planetary sustainability. Offering a diverse range of perspectives, this volume is essential for bioethicists, public health practitioners and philosophers.

In 1978, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the year 2000 as the "due date" for world health. The Alma Ata declaration set the turn of the century as the target for a level of health that would permit all people of the world to lead a socially and economically productive life. ' At that (magic but arbitrary) date most infectious diseases and many chronic conditions, including diabetes and cancer, were expected to have been eradicated or at least controlled. Such predictions were based on solid foundations. In the 1 20 h century, and particularly since the 1970's, Western science and technology based (or "modern") medicine has made quantum leaps in numerous areas as diverse as pharmacology, genetic and molecular biology, surgical techniques, infertility treatments, and pre- and neo-natal care. This impressive trajectory of progress, which continues unabatedly, gave every reason to assume that come the year 2000 humanity would finally be free from many of its ancient scourges. However, as we are all too well aware, the new millennium witnesses also ever more terrifying threats to our health as a result of the emergence of 2 AIDS in the early 80's, the resurgence of infectious diseases such as 3 tuberculosis and malaria, now drug resistant, the absence of significant breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and the continuing dramatic gap in health care between industrialized and developing countries, to mention but a few examples.

This book examines the ethics of end of life care, focusing on the kinds of decisions that are commonly made in clinical practice. Specific attention is paid to the intensification of treatment for terminal symptoms, particularly pain relief, and the withdrawal and withholding of care, particularly life-saving or life-prolonging medical care. The book is structured into three sections. The first section contains essays examining end of life care from the perspective of moral theory and theology. The second sets out various conceptual terms and distinctions relevant to decision-making at the end of life. The third section contains chapters that focus on substantive ethical issues. This format not only provides for a comprehensive analysis of the ethical issues that arise in the context of end of life care but allows readers to effectively trace the philosophical, theological and conceptual underpinnings that inform their specific interests. This work will be of interest to scholars working in the area as well as clinicians, specialists and healthcare professionals who encounter these issues in the course of their practice.

This book discusses the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the practice of medicine, and the observed and potential pitfalls of such partnerships. It argues that the pharmaceutical industry has become indispensable to many of the activities of the medical profession across the pharmaceutical product lifecycle, and examines the regulatory, ethical, professional and institutional difficulties that arise from these interactions. With data drawn from over 80 qualitative accounts from medical, pharmaceutical, regulatory and healthcare professionals, this book uses both Hungary and the Netherlands as case studies to demonstrate the potential problem of undue pharmaceutical industry influence within the relationships fostered with the profession of medicine. Chapters systematically describe the lifecycle of a pharmaceutical product from research to distribution, demonstrating the interdependency of industry and medicine. Arguing that the medical profession should be a buffer between the pharmaceutical industry interests and patient interests, the book explores how undue industry influence weakens the ability of the medical profession to do so. Using the theory of institutional corruption, the book aims to analyze how conflict of interest and the weakening of institutional imperatives is a result of institutional interactions rather than individual actions. Appropriate for students and researchers of the pharmaceutical industry, corporate corruption, and those working in NGOs and policy making, this unique volume is an comprehensive look at the complex relationship between medicine and pharmacy.

Now in its second edition, Law and Ethics in Nursing and Healthcare: An Introduction continues to provide all the information nursing and healthcare students need to know about 'what is legal' and 'how to decide what is right' in order to practise safely and ethically. Graham Avery focuses directly on the vital areas - such as negligence, consent, confidentiality, and professional conduct - with a practical and accessible approach aimed at healthcare students as well as practitioners. Key features include: a new chapter on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Up-to-date information related to the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Francis Report. Real life case studies to help students think critically about difficult clinical situations. End-of-chapter scenarios activities with suggested answers to reinforce knowledge. Qualified as a Registered Nurse and holding an MA in Medical Law and Ethics, Graham Avery is a Lecturer at the University of Essex.

Handbook of Nutrition and Diet in Palliative Care, Second Edition, is a comprehensive guide, providing exhaustive information on nutrition and diet in terminal and palliative care. It covers physical, cultural and ethical aspects, bridging the intellectual divide in being suitable for novices and experts alike. Following in the tradition of its predecessor, chapters contain practical methods, techniques, and guidelines along with a section on applications to other areas of palliative care. Each chapter features key facts highlighting important areas, summary points, and ethical issues. FEATURES * Use of cannabinoids in palliative nutrition care * Pain control in palliative care * Communications in palliative/end-of-life care: aspects of bad news * Anorexia in cancer: appetite, physiology, and beyond * Palliative care in severe and enduring eating disorders * Linking food supplementation and palliative care in HIV * Eating-related distress in terminally ill cancer patients and their family members * Palliative care of gastroparesis * Preoperative nutrition assessment and optimization in the cancer patient * Childhood leukemia, malnutrition, and mortality as components of palliative care * End-of-life decisions in persons with neurodevelopmental disorders * Resources: listing web sites, journals, books and organizations

For courses in medical law or ethics in programs for nurses, medical assistants, and other allied health care professionals. A plain-language guide to the law and ethics of healthcare Medical Law and Ethics examines the essentials of pertinent laws and the ethical demands of healthcare professions. Clear and readable, the text helps students identify the ethical norms they will adhere to in their chosen field. Real legal cases and stimulating exercises challenge learners to envision their responses to legal and ethical dilemmas in healthcare today. The 6th edition covers issues of increasing concern in hospitals and medical offices, including the opioid crisis in the US, electronic recordkeeping, and the needs of elderly and handicapped populations. New! Also available with MyLab Health Professions By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student. Developed for allied health students and instructors, MyLab Health Professions supports students' mastery and application of the skills they'll need for a successful career in health care. Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab Health Professions does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab Health Professions, ask your instructor to confirm the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

In this work, Carol V.A. Quinn (re)constructs the survivors' arguments in the debate concerning the ethics of using Nazi medical data, showing what it would mean to take their claims seriously. She begins with a historical case and presents arguments that help make sense of the following claims: 1) Using the data harms the survivors by violating their dignity; 2) The survivors are the "living data," and so when we use the data we use them; 3) The data is really, not merely symbolically, evil and we become morally tainted when we engage it; and 4) The survivors are the real moral experts in this debate, and so we should take seriously what they say. Quinn's approach is interdisciplinary, incorporating philosophy, psychology, trauma research, survivors' testimony, Holocaust poetry, literature, and the Hebrew Bible.

All human behaviour is, ultimately, a moral undertaking, in which each situation must be considered on its own merits. As a result ethical conduct is complex. Despite the proliferation of Codes of Conduct and other forms of professional guidance, there are no easy answers to most human problems. Mental Health Ethics encourages readers to heighten their awareness of the key ethical dilemmas found in mainstream contemporary mental health practice. This text provides an overview of traditional and contemporary ethical perspectives and critically examines a range of ethical and moral challenges present in contemporary 'psychiatric-mental' health services. Offering a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective, it includes six parts, each with their own introduction, summary and set of ethical challenges, covering: fundamental ethical principles; legal issues; specific challenges for different professional groups; working with different service user groups; models of care and treatment; recovery and human rights perspectives. Providing detailed consideration of issues and dilemmas, Mental Health Ethics helps all mental health professionals keep people at the centre of the services they offer.

This thoroughly updated third edition lays a solid foundation for understanding the intersection of law, ethics and the rights of the patient in the context of everyday nursing and health care practice. Outlining the key legal and ethical principles relevant to nurses, Essential Law and Ethics In Nursing: Patients, Rights and Decision-Making, previously entitled Patients' Rights: Law and Ethics for Nurses, uses an easy-to-read style that conveys key principles in an accessible way. It: provides a clear understanding not only of basic legal provisions in health care but also of wider issues relating to human rights; covers topics such as ethical decision-making, the regulation of nursing, confidentiality, laws concerning human rights, safe practice, vulnerable people, elder abuse and employment regulations; and includes thinking points, case studies and relevant case law to help link theory with practice. This is essential reading for nurses and an important reference for midwives and allied health professionals.

This book argues that a conscientiously objecting medical professional should receive an exemption only if the grounds of an objector's refusal are reasonable. It defends a detailed, contextual account of public reasonability suited for healthcare, which builds from the overarching concept of Rawlsian public reason. The author analyzes the main competing positions and maintains that these other views fail precisely due to their systematic inattention to the grounding reasons behind a conscientious objection; he argues that any such view is plausible to the extent that it mimics the 'reason-giving requirement' for conscience objections defended in this work. Only reasonable objections can defeat the prior professional obligation to assign primacy to patient well-being, therefore one who refuses a patient's request for a legally available, medically indicated, and safe service must be able to explain the grounds of their objection in terms understandable to other citizens within the public institutional structure of medicine. The book further offers a novel policy proposal to deploy the Reasonability View: establishing conscientious objector status in medicine. It concludes that the Reasonability View is a viable and attractive position in this debate. A New Theory of Conscientious Objection in Medicine: Justification and Reasonability will be of interest to researchers and advanced students working in bioethics, medical ethics, and philosophy of medicine, as well as thinkers interested in the intersections between law, medical humanities, and philosophy.

This book provides an up-to-date description of cross-cultural aspects of end-of-life decision-making. The work places this discussion in the context of developments in the United States such as the emphasis on patient informed consent, "right to die" legal cases, and the federal Patient Self-Determination Act. With the globalization of health care and increased immigration from developing to developed countries, health care professionals are experiencing unique challenges in communicating with seriously ill patients and their families about treatment options as well as counselling all patients about advance medical care planning. While many Western countries emphasize individual autonomy and patient-centered decision-making, cultures with a greater collectivist orientation have, historically, often protected patients from negative health information and emphasized family-centered decision-making. In order to place these issues in context, the history of informed consent in medicine is reviewed. Additionally, cross-cultural issues in health care decision-making are analysed from the perspective of multiple philosophical theories including deontology, utilitarianism, virtues, principlism, and communitarian ethics. This book is a valuable addition to courses on end-of-life care, death and dying, cross-cultural health, medical anthropology, and medical ethics and an indispensable guide for healthcare workers dealing with patients coming from various cultural backgrounds.

'You have cancer.' Words no one wants to hear, but heard by millions every year. Millions more hear the equally shattering news that a loved one has cancer. Both are life-changing messages. For the people writing this book, cancer was not only a personal crisis, it was also an education. Experts on medical ethics, personal experience with cancer showed them how little they understood of the real world of serious illness. Despite years of teaching and writing about treatment decision-making and patient autonomy, they were unprepared for many of the problems they faced. They discovered that the rights and wrongs of cancer care were more complicated than they had anticipated. Ethics outside the hospital walls took on unexpected significance as they discovered the astonishing generosity, and the unintentional cruelty, that cancer provokes in others. Cancer was a test of personal character, too, as patients accustomed to control became dependent on others and caregivers shouldered unfamiliar and difficult responsibilities. In chapters on cancer diagnosis, treatment choices, and research participation, the authors examine medical ethics from the personal point of view. In chapters on family caregiving, cancer interactions, and cancer support groups, they consider ethics outside the medical setting. In chapters on mortality and survivorship, they reflect on cancer's personal moral teachings. Cancer is an unavoidable feature of modern life. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what it is like to have cancer, better equipped to respond to cancer in their own lives and the lives of others. The book also offers insights to doctors and nurses seeking to improve cancer treatment and to medical ethicists seeking to make their work more relevant to patients and caregivers. "Rebecca Dresser's idea for a book on cancer was an inspired one. In bringing together a group of people from the field of bioethics with personal experience of cancer, as survivors or caretakers, we see in moving detail what it is like to wrestle with the disease. It will offer those with cancer or caring for those with it uncommon insight and wisdom. If one has to think about or deal with the disease, one can hardly ask for more."- Dan Callahan, The Hastings Center

This is your source for authoritative and comprehensive guidance from the British Medical Association (BMA) Medical Ethics Department covering both routine and highly contentious medico-legal issues faced by health care professionals. The new edition updates the information from both the legal and ethical perspectives and reflects developments surrounding The Mental Capacity Act, Human Tissue Act, and revision of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

This book explores the phenomenon of suicide tourism. As more countries legally permit assisted suicide and do not necessarily bar the participation of non-residents, suicide tourism is becoming a larger and more complex global issue. The book sets out the parameters for future debate by first contextualizing the practice and identifying its treatment under international and domestic law. It then analyses the ethical ramifications, weighing up where the state's responsibilities lie, and addressing the controversial roles of accompanying persons. The book goes on to offer a sociological and cultural analysis of suicide tourism, including interviews with the various stakeholders: policy makers, assisted suicide associations, and medical and patients' organizations, in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. The book concludes with a summary of the legal, ethical, political, and sociological dimensions of suicide tourism.