The Division of Medical
Ethics and Humanities

Medical Ethics in the News

• Bioethics breaking news from NBC
• American Journal of Bioethics - The journal plus other bioethics news articles

• December, 2006

• A Pay-for-Population Health Performance System
  Kindig DA. JAMA. December 6, 2006;296:2611-2613.

• November, 2006

• Financial Relationships between Institutional Review Board Members and Industry
  Campbell EG, et al. New Engl J Med. October 30, 2006;355:2321-2329.
• Patients' Viiews on Financial Conflicts of Interest in Cancer Research Trials
  Hampson LA, Et al. New Engl J Med. November 30, 2006;355:2330-2337.
• Conflict of Interest - or Conflict of Priorities
  Nabel EG. N Engl J Medi. November 30, 2006;355:2365-2367.
• Dangerous Deception - Hiding the Evidence of Adverse Drug Effects
  Avorn,J New Engl J Med. November 23, 2006;355:2169-2171.
• Public Roles of US Physicians: Community Participation, Political Involvement, and Collective Advocacy
  Gruen RL, Campbell EG, Blumenthal d. JAMA. November 22/29, 2006;296:2467-2475.
• Professionalism - The Next Wave
  Hafferty FW. New Engl J Med. November 16, 2006;355:2151-2152.
• Murder or Mercy? Hurricane Katrina and the Need for Disaster Taining
  Curiel TJ. New Engl J Med. November 16, 2006;355:2067-2069.
• Medical-Process Patents - Monopolizing the Delivery of Halth Care
  Kesselheim AS, Mello MM. New Engl J Med. November 9, 2006;355:2036-2041
• Palliative Care for Frail Older Adults: "There Are Things I Can't Do Anymore That I Wish I Could..."
  Boockvar KS, Meier DE. JAMA. November 8, 2006;296:2245-2253.
• Spiritual Issues in the Care of Dying Patients: "...It's Okay Between Me and God"
  Markowitz AJ. McPhee SJ. JAMA. November 8, 2006;296:2254.
• Paying for Performance - Risks and Recommendations
  Fisher ES. New Engl J Med. November 2, 2006;355:1845-1847.
• Public Report Cards - Cardiac Surgery and Beyond
  Steinbrook R. New Engl J Med. November 2, 2006;355:1847-1849.
• Pay for Performance in Commercial HMOs
  Rosenthal MB, et al. New Engl J Med. November 2, 2006;1895-1902.
• Voters and Health Care in 2006
  Blendon RJ, Altman DE. New Engl J Med. November 2, 2006;355:1928-1933.

• October, 2006

• Institute of Medicine on Drug Safety
  Psaty BM, Burke SP. New Engl J Med. October 26, 2006;355:1753-1755.
• Consumer-Directed Health Care
  Bloche MG. New Engl J Med. October 26, 2006;355:1756-1759.
• Medical Education: The Developing Physician - Becoming a Professional
  Stern DT, Papadakis M. New Engl J Med. October 26, 2006;355:1794-1799.
• Disparities in the Utilization of High-Volume Hospitals for Complex Surgery
  Liu JH. JAMA. October 25, 2006;296:1973-1980.
• Relationship Between Quality of Care and Racial Disparitiesin Medicare Health Plans
  Trivedi AN, Zaslavsky AM, Schneider EC, Ayanian JZ. JAMA. October 25, 2006;296:1998-2004.
• HIV Screening in Health Care Settings: Public Health and Civil Liberties in Conflict?
  Gostin LO. JAMA. October 25, 2006;296:2023-2025
• Delivering Quality to Patients
  Finlayson SRG. JAMA. October 25, 2006;296:2026-2027.
• America's New Refuges - Seeking Affordable Surgery Offshore
  Milstein A. Smith M. New Engl J Med. October 19, 2006;355:1637-1640.
• Stem Cell Politics
  Okie S. New Engl J Med. November 19, 2006;355:1633-1637.
• FDA Regulation of Stem Cell - Based Therapies
  Halme DG, Kessler DA. New Engl J Med. October 19, 2006;1730-1735.
• Graduate Medical Education and Patient Safety: A Busy - and Occasionally Hazardous - Intersection
  Shojania KG, Fletcher KE, Saint S. Ann Intern Med. October 17, 2006;145:592-598.
• Body of Resarch - Ownership and Use of Human Tissue
  Charo RA. New Engl J Med. October 12, 2006;1517-1519.
• Plan B and the Politics of Doubt
  Davidoff F, Trussell J. JAMA. October 11, 2006;1775-1778.
• Rapid Response Teams - Walk, Don't Run
  Winters BD, Pham J, Pronovost PJ. JAMA, October 4, 2006;296:1645-1647.

• September, 2006

• Medical Education: American Medical Education 100 Years after the Flexner Report
  Cooke M, et al. New Engl J Med. September 28, 2006;355:1339-1344.
• A Good Teacher
  Drazen JM. New Engl J Med. September 28, 2006;1374-1375.
• A New Series on Medical Education
  Cox M, Irby DM. New Engl J Med. September 28, 2006;355:1375-1376.
• Hunger Strikes at Guantanamo - Medical Ethics and Human Rights in a "Legal Black Hole"
  Annas GJ. New Engl J Med. September 28, 2006;355:1377-1382.
• The Politics and Promise of Stem-Cell Research
  Schwartz RS. New Engl J Med. September 21, 2006;355:1189-1191.
• Apology in Medical Practice: An Emerging Clinical Skill
  Lazare A. JAMA. September 20, 2006;296:1401-1404.
• Spiritual Issues in the Care of Dying Patients: "...It's Okay Between Me and God"
  Sulmasy DP. JAMA. September 20, 2006;296:1385-1392
• Global Health - The Gates-Buffett Effect
  Okie S. New Engl J Med. September 14, 2006;1084-1088.
• Going Beyond Disease to Disability
  Iezzoni LI. New Engl J Med. Septmeber 7, 2006;355:976-979.
• Assessment of the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Program
  Rollow W, et al. Ann Intern Med. September 5, 2006;145:342-353.
• Enahancing the Potential of Quality Improvement Organizations to Improve Quality of Care
  Shortell SM, Peck WA. Ann Intern Med. September 5, 2006;145:388-389.

• August, 2006

• The value of Medical Spending in the United States, 1960 - 2000
  Cutler DM, Rosen AB, Vijan S. New Engl J Med. August 31, 2006;355:920-927.
• Imposing Personal Responsibility for Health
  Steinbrook R. New Engl J Med. August 24, 2006;355:753-756.
• Personal Responsibility and Physician Responsibility - West Virginia's Medicaid Plan
  Bishop G, Brodkey AC.. New Engl J Med. August 24, 2006;355:756-758.
• Overweight and Mortality among Baby Boomers - Now We're Getting Personal
  Byers T. New Engl J Med. August 24, 2006;355:758-760.
• Medicare's Requirement for Research Participation as a Condition of Coverage: Is It Ethical?
  Pearson SD, Miller FG, Emanuel EJ. JAMA, August 23/30, 2006;296:988-991.
• The Influence of Money on Medical Science
  DeAngelis CD. JAMA. August 23/30, 2006;269:996-998.
• Gradient of Disability across the SOcioeconomic Spectrum in the United States
  Minkler M, Fuller-Thomson E, Guralnik JM. New Engl J Med. August 17, 2006;355:695-703
• Genes on the Web - Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Genetic Testing
  Wolfberg AJ. New Engl J Med. August 10, 2006;355:543-545.
• DNA Testing, Banking, and Genetic Privacy
  Roche PA. Annas GJ. New Engl J Med. August 10, 2006;355:545-546.
• A Proposal for Radical Changes in the Drug-Approval Process
  Wood AJJ. New Engl J Med. August 10,2006;355:618-623.
• Tracking Progress in Patient Safety: An Elusive Target
  Pronovost PJ, Miller MR, Wachter RM. JAMA. August 9, 2006;296:696-699.
• Refusal of Care: Patients' Well-being and Physicians' Ethical Obligations: "But Doctor, I Want to Go Home"
  Carrese JA. JAMA. August 9, 2006;691-695.
• Access before Approval - A Right to Take Experimental Drugs?
  Okie S. New Engl J Med. August 3, 2006;355:437-440.
• Victims of Cardiac Arrest Occurring Outside the Hospital: A Source of Transplantable Kidneys
  Sanchez-Fructuoso AI, et al. Ann Intern Med. August 1, 2006;145:157-164.
• The Allocation of Organs Donated by Altruistic Strangers
  Steinberg D. Ann Intern Med. August 1, 2006;145:197-203
• How Can We Ethically Increase the Supply of Transplantable Organs?
  Childress JF. Ann Intern Med. August 1, 2006:145:224-225.
• Paranoia over Privacy
  Neubauer RL. Ann Intern Med. August 1, 2006:145:228-229.

• July, 2006

• Business and Medicine: The Price of growth in the Medical-Device Industry
  Garber AM. New Engl J Med. July 27, 2006;355:337-339.
• The Silent Epidemic - The Health Effects of Illiteracy
  Marcus EN. New Engl J Med. July 27, 2006;355:339-341.
• Pay-for-Performance Programs in Family Practices in the United Kingdom
  Doran et al. New Engl J Med. July 27, 2006;355:375-384.
• Paying for Performance in the United States and Abroad
  Epstein AM. New Engl J Med. July 27, 2006;355:406-409.
• The Troubled Transformation of Britain's National Health Service
  Klein R. New Engl J Med. July 27, 2006;355:409-415.
• Language Barriers to Health Care
  Flores G. New Engl J Med. July 20, 2006;355:229-231.
• The "Gender Gap" in Authorship of Academic Medical Literature - A 35-Year Perspective
  Jagsi R et al. New Engl J Med. July 20, 2006;355:281-287.
• Women in Academic Medicine - Progress and Challenges
  Hamel MB et al. New Engl J Med. July 20, 2006;355:310-312.
• Employer-Sponsored Insurance - Riding the Health Care Tiger
  Blumenthal D. New Engl J Med. July 13, 2006;355:195-202.
• Refusal of Care: Patients' Well-being and Physicians' Ethical Obligations: "But Doctor, I Want to Go Home"
  Carrese JA. JAMA. July 9, 2006;296:691-695.
• Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in the United States - Origins and Implications
  Blumenthal D. New ENgl J Med. July 6, 2006;355:82-88
• Measuring Hospital Quality: What Physicians Do? How Patients Fare? Or Both?
  Jha AK. JAMA. July 5, 2006;296:95-97.

• June, 2006

• For Sale: Physicians'Prescribing Data
  Steinbrook R. New Engl J Med. June 29, 2006;354:2745-2747.
• Compelled Disclosure of Health Information: Protecting Against the Greatest Potential Threat to Privacy
  Rothstein MA, Talbot MK. JAMA. June 28, 2006;295:2882-2885.
• Bioterror and "Bioart" - A Plague o' Both Your Houses
  Annas,GJ. New Engl J Med. June 22, 2006;354:2715-2720.
• How Conducting a Clinical Trial Affects Physicians' Guideline Adherence and Drug Preferences
  Andersen M, Kragstrup j, Sondergaard J. JAMA. June 21, 2006;295:2759-2764.
• Clinical Trial Investigators and Their Prescribing Patterns: Another Dimension to the Relationship Between Physician Investors and the Pharmaceutical Industry.
  Psaty BM, Rennie D. JAMA. June 21, 2006;295:2787-2790.
• New Technology, Old Dilemma - Monitoring EEG Activity during Executions
  Steinbrook R. New Engl J Med. June 15, 2006;354:2525-2527.
• Obesity - The New Frontier of Public Health Law
  Mello MM, Studdert DM, Brennan TA. New Engl J Med. June 15, 2006;354:2601-2610.
• Sudden Tramatic Death in Children: "We Did Everything, but Your Child Didn't Survive"
  Truog RD, Christ G, Browning DM, Meyer EC. JAMA. June 14, 2006;295:2646-2654.
• Integrating Palliative Care for Liver Transplant Candidates: "Too Well for Transplant, Too Sick for Life"
  Markowitz AJ, McPhee SJ. JAMA. June 14, 2006;295:2655.
• Effect of a Clinical Pathway to Reduce Hospitalizations in Nursing Home Residents With Pneumonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  Hochman JS et al. JAMA. June 7, 2006;295:2503-2510.

• May, 2006

• Making Patient Safety the Centeriece of Medical Liability Reform
  Clinton HR, Obama B. New Engl J Med. May 25, 2006;354:2205-2208.
• Protecting Special Interests in the Name of "Good Science"
  Rosenstock L. JAMA. May 24/31, 2006;295:2407-2410.
• Can Massachusetts Lead the Way in Health Care Reform?
  Altman SH, Doonan M. New Engl J Med. May 18, 2006;354:2093-2095.
• Health Care Reform in Massachusetts - A Work in Progress
  Steinbrook R. New Engl J Med. May 18, 2006;354:2095-2098
• Claims, Errors, and Compensation Payments in Medical Malpractice Litigation
  Studdert DM, et al. New Engl J Med. May 11, 2006;354:2024-2033.
• The Patient's Right to Safety - Improving the Quality of Care through Litigation against Hospitals
  Annas GJ. New Engl J Med. May 11, 2006;354:2063-2066.
• Compensation for Injured Research Subjects
  Steinbrook R. New Engl J Med. May 4, 2006;354:1871-1873.
• Disease and Disadvantage in the United States and in England
  Banks J, Marmot M, Oldfield Z, Smith JP. JAMA. May 3, 2006;295:2037-2045.

• April, 2006

• Becoming a Physician: The New Medical "Missionaries"
  Panosian C, Coates TJ. New Engl J Med. April 27, 2006;354:1771-1773.
• Financial Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Voting Patterns at Food and Drug Administration Drug Advisory Committee Meetings
  Lurie P, Almeida CM, Stine N, Stine AR, Wolfe SM. JAMA. April 26, 2006;295:1921-1929.
• Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Legitimate Medical Practice?
  Gostin LO. JAMA. April 26, 2006;295:1941-1943.
• Will Physician-Level Measures of Clinical Performance Be Used in Medical Malpractice Litigation?
  Kesselheim AS, Ferris TG, Studdert DM. JAMA. April 19, 2006;295:1831-1834.
• Research Misconduct, Retraction, and Cleansing the Medical: Lessons from the Poehlman Case
  Sox HC, Rennie D. Ann Intern Med. April 18, 2006;144:609-613.
• Patient Counseling and Education: Should Doctors Be Doing More?
  Fisher Wilson J. Ann Intern Med. April 18, 2006;144:621-624.
• Public Health Strategies for Pandemic Influenza: Ethics and the Law
  Gostin L. JAMA. April 12, 2006;295:1700-1704.

• March, 2006

• "Teach Me, and I Will Be Silent; Make Me Understand How I Have Erred" (Jov 6:24)
  Seton M. Ann Intern Med. March 21, 2006;144:449-450.
• Facial Transplantation: Brave New Face
  Okie S. New Engl J Med. March 2, 2006;354:889-894.
• Shortages of Medical Personnel at Community Health Centers: Implications for Planned Expansion
  Rosenblatt RA, Andrilla CHA, Curtian T, Hart LG. JAMA. March 1, 2006;295:1042-1049.
• Strengthening Primary Care to Bolster the Health Care Safety Net
  Forrest CB. JAMA. March 1, 2006;295:1062-1064.

• February, 2006

• Strategies for Improving Surgical Quality - Should Payers Reward Excellence of Effort?
  Birkmeyer NJO, Birkmeyer JD. New Engl J Med. February 23, 2006;354:864-870.
• Policies and Practices Related to the Role of Board Certification and Recertification of Pediatricians in Hospital Privileging
  Freed Gl et al For the Research Advisory Committee of the American Board of Pediatrics. JAMA. February 22, 2006;295:905-912.
• Credentialing and Public Accountability: A Central Role for Board Certification
  Cassel CK, Holmboe Es. JAMA. February 22, 2006;295:939-940.
• The "Dis-location" of U.S. Medicine - The Implications of Medical Outsourcing
  Wachter RM. New Engl J Med. February 16, 2006;354:661-665.
• Meeting Palliative Care Needs in Post-Acute Care Settings: "To Help Them Live Until They Die"
  Hanson LC, Ersek M. JAMA. February 8, 2006;295:681-686.
• Association of Socioeconomic Status With Functional Capacity, Heart Rate Recovery, and All Cause Mortality
  Shishehbor MH, Litaker D, Pothier CE, Lauer MS. JAMA. February 8, 2006;295:784-792.
• Law Enforcement Interviews of Hospital Patients: A Conundrum for Clinicians
  Jones PM, Appelbaum PS, Siegel DM, For the Massachusetts Work Gorup on Law Enforcement Access to Hospital Patients. JAMA. February 8, 2006;295:822-825.
• Medical Countermeasures for Pandemic Influenza: Ethics and the Law
  Gostin LO. JAMA. February 1, 2006;295:554-556.
• Blood Safety - At What Cost?
  Bekker LG, Wood, R. JAMA. February 1, 2006;295:557-558.

• January, 2006

• Beyond Fraud - Stem-Cell Research Continues
  Snyder EY, Loring JF. N Engl J Med. January 26, 2006;354:321-324.
• Egg Donation and Human Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
  Steinbrook R. N Engl J Med. January 26, 2006;354:324-326.
• Health Industry Practices That Create Conflicts of Interest: A Policy Proposal for Academic Medical Centers
  Brennan TA et al. JAMA. January 25, 2006;295:429-433.
• Problem Doctors: Is There a System-Level Solution?
  Leape LL, Fromson JA. Ann Intern Med. January 17, 2006;144:107-115
• Reform of Drug Regulation - Beyond an Independent Drug-Safety Board
  Ray WA, Stein CM. N Engl J Med. January 12, 2006;354:194-201.
• The Big Chill - Inserting the DEA into End-of-Life Care
  Quill TE, Meier DE. N Engl J Med. January 5, 2006;354:1-3
• On Being A Doctor: Twenty Minutes
  Cavanaugh J. Ann Intern Med. January 3, 2006;144:63-64.
• Customer Disservice
  Brennan TA. Ann Intern Med. January 3, 2006;144:61-62.
• Feeding Patients after Stroke: Who, When and How
  Williams LS. Ann Intern Med. January 3, 2006;144:59-60.

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