Journal of medical ethics
-
Journal of medical ethics · May 2007
Characteristics of deaths occurring in hospitalised children: changing trends.
Despite a gradual shift in the focus of medical care among terminally ill patients to a palliative model, studies suggest that many children with life-limiting chronic illnesses continue to die in hospital after prolonged periods of inpatient admission and mechanical ventilation. ⋯ A greater proportion of hospitalised children are dying in an ICU environment. Our experience indicates that professional ethical guidance by itself may be inadequate in reversing the trends observed in this study.
-
Journal of medical ethics · May 2007
A qualitative study of institutional review board members' experience reviewing research proposals using emergency exception from informed consent.
Emergency exception to informed consent regulation was introduced to provide a venue to perform research on subjects in emergency situations before obtaining informed consent. For a study to proceed, institutional review boards (IRBs) need to determine if the regulations have been met. ⋯ This preliminary study suggests that IRB members find emergency exception to informed consent studies take longer to review than other protocols, and that community consultation and community notification are the most difficult aspect of the regulations with which to comply but that they adequately protect human subjects.
-
Journal of medical ethics · May 2007
Do-not-resuscitate decision: the attitudes of medical and non-medical students.
To study the attitudes of both medical and non-medical students towards the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decision in a university in Hong Kong, and the factors affecting their attitudes. ⋯ Students in medical and non-medical fields held different views on DNR. A majority of participants considered the patient's own wish as most important in DNR decisions. Family wishes were considered less important than the patient's own wishes.
-
Journal of medical ethics · May 2007
Legal and ethical considerations in processing patient-identifiable data without patient consent: lessons learnt from developing a disease register.
The legal requirements and justifications for collecting patient-identifiable data without patient consent were examined. The impetus for this arose from legal and ethical issues raised during the development of a population-based disease register. Numerous commentaries and case studies have been discussing the impact of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA1998) and Caldicott principles of good practice on the uses of personal data. ⋯ Fears regarding the duty of confidentiality have resulted in a common misconception that section 60 must be complied with. Although this is not the case, section 60 support does provide the most secure basis in law for collecting such data. Using our own experience in developing a disease register as a backdrop, this article will clarify the procedures, risks and potential costs of applying for section 60 support.