By Jennifer Gunter
KevinMD.com - Social Media's Leading Physician Voice
Originally published November 1, 2012
When I was the director of undergraduate medical education for OB/GYN at a Midwestern university (a state school), it came to my attention that a medical student was refusing to have anything to do with contraception as it was against her religion.
So I spoke with her. I explained that over the course of her career she would undoubtedly see people from all walks of life with a myriad of religious and or personal practices. I explained that medical care is not about fulfilling any personal need beyond the need to help.
I gave the example of a doctor who is a Jehovah’s Witness. Refusing to order a blood transfusion would be both unethical and malpractice.
I had an OB/GYN who practiced the same religion discuss how he felt that he could prescribe contraception and still honor his Church.
None of this mattered. In her eyes prescribing contraception was an affront to her religion.
“What if you don’t council a patient about condoms and she gets HIV?” I asked.
No answer.
“Do you think it’s ethical for a woman to take time out of her day to come for a well-woman exam and not leave with the contraception that she wants and needs?”
Silence.
The entire blog post is here.
Thanks to Ed Zuckerman for this information.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Anthropologists Approve Ethics Code
By Scott Jaschik
Inside Higher Ed
Originally published November 7, 2012
After five years of study, the American Anthropological Association has adopted a new code of ethics. In a vote of members, 93 percent approved of the statement, which shifts away from a legal-type list of specific prohibitions (a characteristic of past codes) and stresses general principles.
As a discipline, anthropology has at times been divided over ethics, with many in the field feeling shame over early work in the field that was used to promote imperialism and with more recent debate over whether it is appropriate for anthropologists to work with the U.S. military. But debate over the new code (as is reflected in the overwhelming vote to approve it) was not as intense as discussions in recent years over very specific questions, such as whether anthropologists should work to help American efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The entire story is here.
Inside Higher Ed
Originally published November 7, 2012
After five years of study, the American Anthropological Association has adopted a new code of ethics. In a vote of members, 93 percent approved of the statement, which shifts away from a legal-type list of specific prohibitions (a characteristic of past codes) and stresses general principles.
As a discipline, anthropology has at times been divided over ethics, with many in the field feeling shame over early work in the field that was used to promote imperialism and with more recent debate over whether it is appropriate for anthropologists to work with the U.S. military. But debate over the new code (as is reflected in the overwhelming vote to approve it) was not as intense as discussions in recent years over very specific questions, such as whether anthropologists should work to help American efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The entire story is here.
A Firing Upheld
By Colleen Flaherty
Inside Higher Ed
Originally published November 14, 2012
Indiana's highest court on Tuesday upheld the University of Evansville's decision to fire a tenured professor accused of violating its sexual harassment policy.
John Haegert, a professor at the private university since 1979, was fired in 2004 following an incident involving a female tenured professor. Margaret McMullan, then chair of the English department, was speaking with a prospective student and her parents in August 2004 when Haegert entered the department lounge and began to stroke the professor on her face and neck, calling her "Sweetie," according to court documents.
McMullan, who testified she was "embarrassed and humiliated" by Haegert's actions, filed a formal complaint against her colleague -- and that complaint led to his termination, following extensive internal review. Court documents reveal several female students had launched similar but informal complaints against Haegert since 2002.
The entire story is here.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Colo. man plotted to kill children, president
By 9News
Originally published November 14, 2012
9Wants to Know has learned a Colorado man is in federal custody after plotting to kill President Barack Obama and kill children on Halloween night in Westminster.
Sources tell 9Wants to Know Mitchell Kusick's plan involved stealing a family member's shotgun and using it to shoot children on Halloween and assassinate the president in Colorado.
Officials do not know when he wanted to kill the president.
The restraining order filed in Jefferson county court says Kusick "stole a shotgun from his aunt's house, hid the weapon, attempted to purchase ammunition for the gun" and then told his therapist about his plan.
The entire story is here.
Originally published November 14, 2012
9Wants to Know has learned a Colorado man is in federal custody after plotting to kill President Barack Obama and kill children on Halloween night in Westminster.
Sources tell 9Wants to Know Mitchell Kusick's plan involved stealing a family member's shotgun and using it to shoot children on Halloween and assassinate the president in Colorado.
Officials do not know when he wanted to kill the president.
The restraining order filed in Jefferson county court says Kusick "stole a shotgun from his aunt's house, hid the weapon, attempted to purchase ammunition for the gun" and then told his therapist about his plan.
The entire story is here.
HCEC Pearls and Pitfalls: Suggested Do’s and Don’t’s for Healthcare Ethics Consultants
Joseph A. Carrese and the Members of the
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
Clinical Ethics Consultation Affairs Standing Committee
1. Don't assume that the question you are asked to address is a matter of ethics, or that it is the primary issue or the only issue. Do take the time to clarify for yourself (and your team) the following: What are the relevant concerns, and are they a matter of ethics?
Those requesting an ethics consultation recognize that a problem exists. However, they may not be able to accurately determine whether the problem is truly a matter of ethics or not, and even if they can, they may not be able to correctly articulate the precise nature of the ethical concerns (that is, the values about which there is uncertainty or conflict). Further, requesters may not appreciate that, in addition to the question(s) they have raised, other important ethical concerns may be involved. One important task for HCECs, then, is to determine if the request is appropriate for ethics consultation and, if so, to clarify the ethical concern(s). 1 If the request does not involve an ethics question (that is, what should be done in the face of uncertainty or conflict about values), it should be referred to other resources in the healthcare system that are better equipped to handle such requests. For example, if the requester is seeking a legal opinion, he or she should be referred to legal counsel. Similar to making a diagnosis in clinical medicine, where precision in diagnosis leads to appropriate intervention, clearly and accurately identifying and describing the ethical concerns in an ethics consultation will more likely lead to a correct and helpful analysis and appropriate recommendations. Another parallel to clinical medicine is that, as the case unfolds over time, new issues may emerge. An initial set of questions, even when addressed and resolved, may lead to awareness of new ethical issues as the case evolves. The consultant should be attentive and open to this possibility and revisit the ethics question(s) in the consultation, as needed.
The other 11 suggestions are here.
Thanks to Ken Pope for this article.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
How celebrity child sex scandal has rocked the BBC
By Simon Hooper
Special to CNN
Originally published October 22, 2012
In life he was one of Britain's best loved children's television personalities, an icon of the pop music world, flamboyant friend of the famous, renowned for his eccentricities and honored for his tireless charity work.
But in death, Jimmy Savile now stands accused of being a pedophile who used his status and celebrity to prey on young girls throughout decades in the public spotlight, his gravestone already removed amid an outpouring of public revulsion. Prime Minister David Cameron has even suggested the removal of Savile's knighthood might be considered in light of the allegations.
As presenter of "Jim'll Fix It," the BBC's flagship Saturday teatime kids' show from the mid-70s until the mid-90s, Savile cultivated an image as the nation's kindly uncle who could make children's dreams come true with a twirl of his trademark cigar.
Yet an ITV documentary -- "Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile" -- broadcast in early October portrayed the late star as a nightmarish figure whose sexual predilection for teenagers was known about, laughed off or suspected by many within the entertainment industry but never openly challenged.
The entire story is here.
Special to CNN
Originally published October 22, 2012
In life he was one of Britain's best loved children's television personalities, an icon of the pop music world, flamboyant friend of the famous, renowned for his eccentricities and honored for his tireless charity work.
But in death, Jimmy Savile now stands accused of being a pedophile who used his status and celebrity to prey on young girls throughout decades in the public spotlight, his gravestone already removed amid an outpouring of public revulsion. Prime Minister David Cameron has even suggested the removal of Savile's knighthood might be considered in light of the allegations.
As presenter of "Jim'll Fix It," the BBC's flagship Saturday teatime kids' show from the mid-70s until the mid-90s, Savile cultivated an image as the nation's kindly uncle who could make children's dreams come true with a twirl of his trademark cigar.
Yet an ITV documentary -- "Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile" -- broadcast in early October portrayed the late star as a nightmarish figure whose sexual predilection for teenagers was known about, laughed off or suspected by many within the entertainment industry but never openly challenged.
The entire story is here.
School Psychologist Pleads No Contest To Taking Photo Of Woman's Pubic Area
By David Owens
The Hartford Courant
Originally published November 1, 2012
In November 2011, as many people suffered through the power outages that followed the October snowstorm, David Pino of Keen Court opened his home to a friend who had no electricity.
The 36-year-old woman, a longtime friend of Pino and his wife, was going to stay the night. Before going to bed, the group had several drinks.
The guest was going to sleep on a day bed in a home office, but Pino suggested that she sleep in the master bedroom with Pino's wife. He said he would sleep on the day bed.
Early the next morning, the woman later told police, something went wrong.
The entire story is here.
The Hartford Courant
Originally published November 1, 2012
In November 2011, as many people suffered through the power outages that followed the October snowstorm, David Pino of Keen Court opened his home to a friend who had no electricity.
The 36-year-old woman, a longtime friend of Pino and his wife, was going to stay the night. Before going to bed, the group had several drinks.
The guest was going to sleep on a day bed in a home office, but Pino suggested that she sleep in the master bedroom with Pino's wife. He said he would sleep on the day bed.
Early the next morning, the woman later told police, something went wrong.
The entire story is here.
Monday, November 12, 2012
U.S. Suicide Rate Jumped During Recession as Unemployment Rose
By Phil Serafino
Bloomberg News
Originally posted November 4, 2012
The suicide rate in the U.S. increased during the recession, a sign that rising joblessness took a toll on Americans’ mental health, researchers said.
About 1,580 additional suicides occurred annually in the U.S. from 2008 to 2010 than would have been expected based on statistical trends before the recession, according to a letter published today in the Lancet journal by researchers from the U.K., Hong Kong and the U.S. They looked at suicide mortality statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 1999 through 2010, according to the letter.
The findings add to evidence from other countries that the recession and debt crisis have harmed mental health. Previous studies found that Greece and Spain, two of the countries hit hardest by the economic duress, showed increases in illnesses including depression.
The entire story is here.
Bloomberg News
Originally posted November 4, 2012
The suicide rate in the U.S. increased during the recession, a sign that rising joblessness took a toll on Americans’ mental health, researchers said.
About 1,580 additional suicides occurred annually in the U.S. from 2008 to 2010 than would have been expected based on statistical trends before the recession, according to a letter published today in the Lancet journal by researchers from the U.K., Hong Kong and the U.S. They looked at suicide mortality statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 1999 through 2010, according to the letter.
The findings add to evidence from other countries that the recession and debt crisis have harmed mental health. Previous studies found that Greece and Spain, two of the countries hit hardest by the economic duress, showed increases in illnesses including depression.
The entire story is here.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Psychologists helping psychologists
Determining your responsibilities when you believe a colleague may have behaved unethically.
By Rebecca A. Clay
The Monitor on Psychology
October 2012, Vol 43, No. 9
Print version: page 36
If you saw another psychologist do something that appeared unethical, would you know how to respond?
Many psychologists don't, says Beth Kaplan Westbrook, PsyD, co-chair of APA's Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (ACCA) and a private practitioner in Portland, Ore. They may be unsure about laws in their state and how those laws interact with APA's Ethics Code. They may lack the information they need. Or they may be nervous about the liability issues that could arise, either from reporting a colleague or failing to do so.
ACCA is working to make sure psychologists are clear about how to react when a colleague needs help. In addition to creating a series of online resources, the group is urging state, provincial and territorial psychological associations (SPTAs) to create colleague assistance programs that can stop problems before they become crises.
"Health professionals aren't immune from the same problems that affect the general public," says Westbrook, citing as examples substance abuse and mental health disorders. "ACCA's main purpose is not only to help people get the treatment they need, but also to focus on prevention—to have programs in place so that psychologists can seek help or refer colleagues as problems arise."
The entire story is here.
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