Ethics Governance
Ethics & Governance - Resources and Articles |
| Articles indexes: a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | other | |
|
|
| Article - Abstract. To view full article click on the article title. | |
MJA: Ginnifer and Kelly, Teaching resuscitation skills using the newly deceased Teaching resuscitation skills using the newly deceased Corinne Ginifer and Anne-Maree Kelly. In many hospital emergency departments doctors learn life-saving technical skills on patients who have recently died. This longstanding practice is justified as providing training that cannot be offered in any other way. But can it continue without the informed consent of relatives and the general approval of the public? (MJA 1996; 165: 445-447) Patients today are educated, informed and active in decisions concerning their health. Much of the awe and mystery that once surrounded the practices of doctors has been dispelled and some longstanding practices are now being questioned. One such practice is the use of the bodies of newly deceased patients to train staff in specialised emergency procedures, a practice that has been criticised on ethical, religious and legal grounds.1 Aside from these arguments, it may be argued that the practice is outdated, as there are now alternative teaching tools -- but do the alternatives offer the same quality of training? The overseas experience Reports from the United States suggest that the practice is widespread, occurring in up to 39% of hospitals.2 It is considerably more common within certain departments, occurring in 54%-63% of emergency departments and 58% of neonatal critical care programs,2,3 with nearly equal rates in both teaching and non-teaching hospitals.3 Few departments (only 7% in the United States) 3 have a written policy regarding the practice. Full Article: http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/oct21/ginnifer/ginnifer.html |
|
2006 Ethics-Governance.com |
|||