Ethical Case Research Articles

Ethics of live uterus donor compensation.

In this paper, I claim that live uterus donors ought to be considered for the possibility of compensation. I support my claim on the basis of comparable arguments which have already been applied to gamete donation, surrogacy, and other kinds of organ donation. However, I acknowledge that there are specificities associated with uterus donation, which make the issue of incentive and reward a harder ethical case relative to gamete donation, surrogacy, and other kinds of organ donation. Ultimately, I contend that while reimbursement for the costs incurred by live uterus donors should be treated as a necessary ethical minimum, how much further we ought to remunerate uterus donations remains an open question.

Choosing a Side: Clinician Perspective Taking in Ethics Consultations.

AbstractEthics consultation is a service provided to patients, families, and clinicians to support decisions during ethical dilemmas. This study is a secondary qualitative analysis of 48 interviews from clinicians involved in an ethics consultation at a large academic health center. An inductive secondary analysis of this data set led to the emergence of one key theme, the apparent perspective the clinicians adopted as they recalled a specific ethics case. This article presents a qualitative analysis of the propensity of clinicians involved in an ethics consultation to adopt the subjective viewpoints of their team, their patient, or both simultaneously. Clinicians demonstrated an ability to take the patient perspective (42%), the clinician perspective (31%), or the clinician-patient perspective (25%). Our analysis suggests the potential for narrative medicine to build the empathy and moral imagination necessary to bridge the gap in perspectives between key stakeholders.

Toward Uniform Insurer Coverage for Functional MRI Following Severe Brain Injury.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) now promises to improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy for patients with disorders of consciousness, and accordingly has been endorsed by professional society guidelines, including those of the American Academy of Neurology, American College of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, and the European Academy of Neurology. Despite multiple professional society endorsements of fMRI in evaluating patients with disorders of consciousness following severe brain injury, insurers have yet to issue clear guidance regarding coverage of fMRI for this indication. Lack of insurer coverage may be a rate-limiting barrier to accessing this technique, which could uncover essential diagnostic and prognostic information for patients and their families. The emerging clinical and ethical case for harmonized insurer recognition and reimbursement of fMRI for vulnerable persons following severe brain injury with disorders of consciousness is explained and critically evaluated.

Emerging and Ethical Issues in Treating LGBTQIA Seniors in Outpatient, Assisted Living, and Long-Term Care Settings

Conservative estimates suggest that there are more than 1.5 million LGBTQIA adults who are 65 and older and this number is expected to double by 2030. By the time LGBTQIA individuals reach their senior years, they have already experienced a severe emotional toll due to years of ridicule, violence, and other abuse and are also coping with significant health disparities. Many have avoided or delayed care or received poor care due to perceived or real discrimination by health care providers and institutions. LGBTQIA seniors are at an even greater risk for health issues, including mental health problems, as a result of these disparities. LGBTQIA seniors in the community, assisted living, and long-term care face systemic discrimination as well as direct forms of abuse. Understanding emerging and ethical emerging issues surrounding LGBTQIA seniors in these environments and reviewing practical approaches to prevent discrimination and improve treatment of this population is critical. This session will review specific procedures to protect LGBTQIA seniors from abuse and bullying and to provide a safe and welcoming environment. The presenters will use real life ethical scenarios and cases to engage participants and facilitate learning about these issues.

The ethics of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers: Public health and clinical perspectives.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains of significant public health concern due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many healthcare institutions are considering or have implemented COVID-19 vaccine mandates for HCWs. We assess defenses of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for HCWs from both public health and professional ethics perspectives. We consider public health values, professional obligations of HCWs, and the institutional failures in healthcare throughout the COVID-19 pandemic which have impacted the lived experiences of HCWs. We argue that, despite the compelling urgency of maximizing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among HCWs, the ethical case for COVID-19 vaccine mandates for HCWs in the United States is complex, and, under current circumstances, inconclusive. Nevertheless, we recognize that COVID-19 vaccine mandates for HCWs have already been and will continue to be implemented across many healthcare institutions. Given such context, we provide suggestions for implementing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for HCWs.

Kode Etik Profesi Guru

The code of ethics for the teaching profession is a guide as well as the moral basis for a teacher in professional behavior, including Guidance and Counseling teachers. The Importance of Professional Codes of Ethics Codes of ethics are a way to improve organizational ethics so that individuals can act ethically. Meanwhile, violations of the teaching professional code of ethics are violations of norms, values ​​and written professional rules that explicitly state what is right and good for a profession in a society that is influenced by misconceptions, lack of preparedness of teachers and students, and lack of inculcation of character. By using a literature study, in practice violations of the professional code are still found in the administration of education. To overcome violations of the teaching professional code of ethics, one of them is by taking firm action and imposing severe sanctions on individual teachers who commit cases of professional ethics because it is very detrimental to the teacher as a profession whose one of its duties is to set a good example towards students

The harm principle, personal identity and identity-relative paternalism

Is it ethical for doctors or courts to prevent patients from making choices that will cause significant harm to themselves in the future? According to an important liberal principle the...

The Embassy of Good Science - a community driven initiative to promote ethics and integrity in research.

The Embassy of Good Science ( https://www.embassy.science) aims to improve research integrity and research ethics by offering an online, open, 'go-to' platform, which brings together information on research integrity and research ethics and makes that information accessible, understandable, and appealing. It effectively organizes and describes research integrity and research ethics guidelines, educational materials, cases, and scenarios. The Embassy is wiki-based, allowing users to add -- when logged in with their ORCID researcher id -- new information, and update and refine existing information. The platform also makes the research integrity and research ethics community visible and more accessible in pages dedicated to relevant initiatives, news and events. Therefore, the Embassy enables researchers to find useful guidance, rules and tools to conduct research responsibly. The platform empowers researchers through increased knowledge and awareness, and through the support of the research integrity and research ethics community. In this article we will discuss the background of this new platform, the way in which it is organized, and how users can contribute.

Exploring ethical challenges in Singapore physiotherapy practice: Implications for ethics education

Introduction: Workplace contexts, including political and sociocultural systems influence health professions’ perception and experience of ethical issues. Although established health ethics principles are relevant guiding values, they may be experienced and interpreted differently within different health contexts. How should ethics education account for this? This paper presents ethical dilemmas and concerns encountered by physiotherapists practicing in Singapore and discusses the implications for ethics education. Methods: Qualitative methods informed by interpretivism and phenomenology were employed. In-depth interviews with 42 physiotherapists from different workplace settings in Singapore were conducted. Participants described everyday ethical challenges they encountered. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the interview transcript data. Results: Ethical issues occurred within and across three spheres of ethics: micro, meso and macro. Ethical issues at the micro sphere centered around physiotherapist-patient relationships, interactions with colleagues, and therapists’ feelings of moral distress. In the meso sphere, ethical challenges related to influences arising from the organizational resources or systems. In the macro sphere, ethical challenges developed or were influenced by sociocultural, religious, economic, and political factors. Conclusion: The findings reflect current literature indicating that context can influence ethical situations, as experienced and perceived by physiotherapists in their unique settings. Such empirical data might inform the development of ethics curricula to ensure that universal ethical principles are situated within the realities of clinical practice. Locally relevant and realistic ethical case studies will better enable students to recognise and address these situations.

Applying the Imminence Requirement to Police

In many jurisdictions in the United States and elsewhere, the law governing deadly force by police and civilians contains a notable asymmetry. Often civilians but not police are bound by the imminence requirement—that is, a necessary condition for justifying deadly force is reasonable belief that oneself or another innocent person faces imminent threat of grave harm. In US law enforcement, however, there has been some shift toward the imminence requirement, most evident in the use-of-force policy adopted by the Department of Justice in 2022. This article defends that shift and argues that the ethical case for the imminence requirement in policing is stronger than Shannon Brandt Ford suggests in a recent article. Though the imminence requirement’s impacts on policing and public safety require ongoing study, the principle of equality before the law and the Doctrine of Doing and Allowing both provide moral grounds for this requirement, especially given the lack of evidence that the status quo helps protect life.

A Literature Study of the Usage of the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Case in Engineering Ethics

Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005, was a large-scale natural disaster. The notable textbook of engineering ethics includes Hurricane Katrina disaster. However, it has been debated whether this case should be used as a case study. The present study surveyed this dispute and examined the employability of the Hurricane Katrina disaster as a case study in engineering ethics. The author found that the objective of the case method used determines the usefulness of the disaster. Furthermore, this study argued that the example of Hurricane Katrina, a prominent large-scale disaster, is indispensable for education in engineering ethics.

Inaugural Editorial

It gives me great pleasure to write an editorial note for the first edition of the new journal of Green and Low-Carbon Economy (GLCE). A warm welcome to the inaugural issue of GLCE, which is a new exciting title for Bon View Press portfolio journals for 2022. GLCE marks a new era for the green and low-carbon development field in approaching carbon neutrality. I am honored and fortunate to be part of GLCE and take responsibility as Editor-in-Chief. As reflected in the journal name, this pioneering journal seeks to understand and address the economic challenges in transitioning to a carbon-neutral world. We encourage authors to conduct multidisciplinary research by applying sound modelling or computational methods and analysis to identify effective and timely solutions for shifting to green and low-carbon economy. Subject areas include, but are not limited to, green and low-carbon economy transition, climate change mitigation and adaption, environmental degradation, renewable energy systems, natural resources management, cost and efficiency, governance, public policy and social behavior, ESG-environmental, social, and corporate governance, green finance, industrial and technological innovations, sustainable production and consumption, and built environment and infrastructure.

Abstract 1196: Using research ethics case studies to teach about carbohydrates

Abstract 1196: Using research ethics case studies to teach about carbohydrates

Exploring the Construction of MPAcc Business Ethics and Accounting Ethics Case Library

It is difficult to support the needs of MPAcc teaching due to the insufficient number of case libraries for business ethics and accounting ethics courses. Therefore, this paper discusses the necessity of the case library from the current situation of case library construction, and analyzes the research and construction of the case library of business ethics and accounting ethics course, and proposes, some corresponding solutions to improve students’ classroom learning effect, so as to better cultivate high quality and high level applied talents, which has a certain reference role for universities to improve the subject case library.

국어사전 용례의 윤리성 자동 분류 문제와 제안

The purpose of this study is to extract unethical use cases from the Korean dictionary to determine whether they are ethical and to find the right way to present ethical use cases. In this study, the problem of misclassification and undetected ethical automatic classifier of the Korean dictionary example was analyzed through the crowd worker and the ethical automatic classifier ‘Safety Check(Korv0.5). This study argued that cases with long-established unethical bias should be reviewed again through unethical cases in the Korean dictionary. Ethical information should be structured according to the purpose of the dictionary, but unethical use cases should be given additional attachment information, or in the case of new words, ethical regulations are needed in the guidelines for preparing examples. The unethical case analysis data reviewed in this study were disclosed to help improve the model through balanced data learning in subsequent studies.

Pathways to Transition: Jan Cygan and the Neo-Philological Tradition

Jan Cygan’s (1927–2021) linguistic thinking laid out in 1976 relied on self-contained form-based structuralism, but it also incorporated elements of emerging context-based structuralism. As such, it was animated by concepts that effectively implied divergent views on the foundational postulate of linguistic arbitrariness underlying structural linguistics. Cygan approached the inner tensions of changing linguistic paradigms in a manner that may be studied as a case in linguistic ethics. This ethic manifests itself in an attitude toward the linguistic fact, as discussed through the lenses of a linguistic model. Today, it is possible to comment on the period of transition in question, falling back on the achievements of cognitive linguistics. Cygan’s stance may be interpreted in terms of the IN-OUT conceptual schema. This interpretation not only highlights the merits of the position emerging from Cygan’s 1976 general linguistics introduction, but it also views this position as a solution to a more fundamental problem facing linguistic ethics today and in the future.

Making the ethical case for effective domestic abuse policy and practice: the role of trade unions

PurposeThis paper focusses on the role of trade unions in policy and practice designed to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse. The paper aims to examine this union remit through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with 39 union representatives in a region of England to capture their views on and experiences of supporting members experiencing domestic abuse.FindingsThere is a clear ethical model by which the unions might articulate the key moral, legal and business drivers in determining effective domestic abuse policy and practice. Furthermore, the degree of “proximity”, in terms of union deliberation with employers and particularly joint action following disclosure, suggests that unions could play a key part in achieving “substantive” domestic abuse policy and practice within organisations.Originality/valueDespite unions' capacity to offer significant support to employers and employees, the role of unions in addressing the workplace impact of domestic abuse is under-researched. With reference to the concept of CSR, the article adds to the knowledge of how to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse.

An Open Discussion of the Impact of OpenNotes on Clinical Ethics: A Justification for Harm-Based Exclusions from Clinical Ethics Documentation

The OpenNotes (ON) mandate in the 21st Century Cures Act requires that patients or their legally authorized representatives be able to access their medical information in their electronic medical record (EMR) in real time. Ethics notes fall under the domain of this policy. We argue that ethics notes are unique from other clinical documentation in a number of ways: they lack best-practice guidelines, are written in the context of common misconceptions surrounding the purpose of ethics consultation, and often answer questions of a different nature than other documentation. Thus, we believe the clinical ethics community would benefit from clarification on when the withholding of ethics notes is justified. We provide recommendations for excluding information from ethics documentation based on the likelihood and magnitude of harm that may occur with particular disclosures and suggest approaches to decrease the potential harms that may occur. We define and explain six types of reasons to exclude information from ethics notes based on significant harms that are not addressed in the ON policy: (1) harmful revelations from a protected chart note; (2) negative emotional effects on patients or families; (3) the purpose of the consultation is undermined by harmful consequences; (4) avoidable negative impact on interpersonal dynamics; (5) inappropriate labeling or disclosure of medical, social, or financial information; and (6) inclusion of biasing or otherwise unfair information. We also suggest approaches to mitigate harm when excluding, including, reframing, or delaying release of information that is perceived to be relevant to an ethics case. Overall, we hope our analysis and recommendations will initiate a much-needed discussion about the impact of the ON mandate on clinical ethics documentation.

Perceptions of Engineers' Environmental Responsibility and Professional Codes of Ethics

In Canada, provincial and territorial level Professional Engineering Codes of Ethics (PECoEs) derived from national guidelines presented by Engineers Canada, provide principles for engineers to aid in decision making and to evaluate the ethical correctness of professional behaviour [1]. Engineers Canada states that engineers must, “Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and the protection of the environment and promote health and safety within the workplace” [1]. This is frequently the only guideline directly related to the environment included in Canadian provincial and territorial PECoEs)[2-13]; Notably, Ontario’s PECoE currently does not explicitly mention the environment in any capacity [14]. Present professional engineering ethics guidelines for environmental responsibility are either missing or largely open to interpretation in Canada, and complex environmental issues may require more robust ethical frameworks to be effectively approached long-term within engineering industry.
 Developing PECoEs requires a better understanding of how engineers view their ethical responsibility with respect to the environment. This paper outlines a study to investigate the ethical beliefs and PECoE interpretations of participants through an online survey with ethical case studies, and interviews. The ultimate goal of this research is to aid the development of PECoEs and engineering ethics education to support sustainable practice.

A step-by-step approach to patients leaving against medical advice (AMA) in the emergency department

ObjectivesPatients leaving against medical advice (AMA) can be distressing for emergency physicians trying to navigate the medical, social, psychological, and legal ramifications of the situation in a fast-paced and chaotic environment. To guide physicians in fulfilling their obligation of care, we aimed to synthesize the best approaches to patients leaving AMA.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review across various fields of work, research context and methodology to synthesize the most relevant strategies for emergency physicians attending patients leaving AMA. We searched Medline, CINAHL, PSYCHO Legal Source, PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, Psychological and Behavioural Sciences collection, SocIndex and Scopus. Search strategies included controlled vocabulary (i.e., MESH) and keywords relevant to the subject chosen by a team of four people, including two specialized librarians.ResultsThe literature review included 34 relevant papers about approaches to patients leaving AMA: 8 case presentations, 4 ethical case analyses, 10 legal letters, 4 reviews and 8 original studies. The main identified strategies were prioritizing a patient-centered approach, proposing alternative discharge and reducing harm while properly documenting the encounter.ConclusionA systematic approach to patients leaving AMA could help improve patient care, support physicians and decrease stigmatization of this population. We advocate that emergency physicians should receive training on how to approach patients leaving AMA to limit the impact on this vulnerable population.