The Journal of clinical ethics
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The AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) has initiated an important discussion on medical professionalism and the use of social media by issuing thoughtful and practical guidance for physicians and medical students. The implications of online activities for trust in the profession, as well as for trust between patient and doctor, however, will need further exploration as digital life expands and evolves.
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Multicenter Study
Advance care directives: realities and challenges in Central California.
To discover where patients with advance directives (ADs) obtain them and to learn what patients' understanding is of how ADs function. ⋯ Few study participants had advance directives, and attorneys provided and discussed ADs with study participants more than physicians did. Because many patients with ADs seem not to fully understand them, new approaches to advance planning education must be developed.
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This issue's "Legal Briefing" column covers recent legal developments involving institutional healthcare ethics committees. This topic has been the subject of recent articles in JCE. Healthcare ethics committees have also recently been the subject of significant public policy attention. ⋯ Confidentiality. 7. Immunity. 8. Litigation and court cases.
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Advance directives have been criticized for failing to help physicians make decisions consistent with patients' wishes. This pilot study sought to determine if an interactive, computer-based decision aid that generates an advance directive can help physicians accurately translate patients' wishes into treatment decisions. ⋯ For simulated cases, a computer-based decision aid for advance care planning can help physicians more confidently make end-of-life decisions that patients will endorse.
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The recent report of the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA), "Professionalism in the Use of Social Media," describes the types of social media medical professionals use, outlines ways in which existing AMA policies address issues of online professionalism, and makes a list of recommendations for physicians to maintain online professionalism. CEJA recommends directed efforts towards educating physicians about the benefits and pitfalls of social media and, in particular, underscores the difficulties of maintaining professional boundaries in the digital age. In this commentary, we highlight issues introduced by the report and suggest some specific ways that the recommendations of the committee can be implemented by medical schools, residency programs, and practicing physicians.