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Focuses on the rationing of age-based health care. Increase in the number of aged people; Consideration of the inequalities between age groups; Government investments on other health care priorities; Comparison of the number of aged women to aged men.

The notion of medical futility has quantitative and qualitative roots that offer a practical approach to its definition and application. Applying these traditions to contemporary medical practice, we propose that when physicians conclude (either through personal experience, experiences shared with colleagues, or consideration of published empiric data) that in the last 100 cases a medical treatment has been useless, they should regard that treatment as futile. If a treatment merely preserves permanent unconsciousness or cannot end dependence on intensive medical care, the treatment should be considered futile. Unlike decision analysis, which defines the expected gain from a treatment by the joint product of probability of success and utility of outcome, our definition of futility treats probability and utility as independent thresholds. Futility should be distinguished from such concepts as theoretical impossibility, such expressions as "uncommon" or "rare," and emotional terms like "hopelessness." In judging futility, physicians must distinguish between an effect, which is limited to some part of the patient's body, and a benefit, which appreciably improves the person as a whole. Treatment that fails to provide the latter, whether or not it achieves the former, is "futile". Although exceptions and cautions should be borne in mind, we submit that physicians can judge a treatment to be futile and are entitled to withhold a procedure on this basis. In these cases, physicians should act in concert with other health care professionals, but need not obtain consent from patients or family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the ethical and psychological issues that arise when family members request that `everything be done' for a particular patient. Review of the case of Helga Wanglie; Reasons why family members request futile treatments; How health professionals should respond to requests of futile treatments; Importance of caring for patients over requests for futile interventions.

Discusses the ethical considerations of the differential responses among people over the death of younger and an older persons. Relatively greater sorrow over the death of younger persons; Comparison of the contemporary attitudes with those of the ancient Greece; Implications of the attitudes on the timing of eath on health care decisions.

Clarifies the author's previous proposal of a patient benefit-centered definition of medical futility that included both quantitative and qualitative components. Attempt to increase the power of the physician over the patient; Arguments on the absence of professional or societal consensus about medical futility.

The article presents the results of a study that examined whether physicians give life support recommendations. The study was done by David R. Rush of the University of Chicago. As of October 2012, approximately 1 in 5 or 22% of 608 critical care physicians reported that they provide surrogates for critically ill adult patients with recommendation about limiting life support while 1 in 10 or 11% are rarely or never doing so.

Comments on Catherine Myser's article 'Differences from Somewhere: The Normativity of Whiteness in Bioethics in the United States.' Reason why the sources of normativity matter; Views of Myser on whiteness; Determination of the merit of favorable versus unfavorable interpretations.

Presents medical correspondence clarifying the abuse of medical futility rationale in the United States. Case example of HIV-positive person admitted to the hospital with only 3 months to live and woman with metastatic breast cancer; Goal of assessing patient attitude.

The article discusses expanded access programs describing the usage of experimental therapy that benefits research participants. Topics discussed information on Food and Drug Administration's approval of nusinersen for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), justification for patient selection criteria on the bases of utilitarian and deontological arguments, and incremental improvement in well-being.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, bioethical analyses often emphasized population health and societal benefit. Hospital policies frequently focused on reducing risk of transmitting SARS‐CoV‐2 by restricting visitors; requiring protective equipment; and screening staff, patients and visitors. While restrictions can be burdensome, they are often justified as essential measures to protect the whole population against a virus with high rates of transmission, morbidity and mortality. Yet communities are not monolithic, and the impacts of these restrictions affect different groups differently. An ophthalmological unit outreach program in Ethiopia serves to illustrate. Pre‐operative screening policies were designed to protect as many patients as possible but had adverse impacts on underserved communities. As this case study demonstrates, creating hospital policies that truly serve the good of the society may require a more holistic review of impacts on inequitably positioned communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the study "How the Neuroscience of Decision Making Informs Our Conception of Autonomy," by Gidon Felsen and Peter Reiner. The author presents his view on the standard model of Felsen and Reiner that autonomous decision is rational and not affected by undue influence. The conclusion is that the brain performs many functions such as analyzing external influence, emotions and interactions with others in decision making.

Focuses on the functions of the theory of professionalism in the medical setting. Resolution of ethical problems; Exposure of invidious bias; Gain of a broader perspective.

Evaluates the ethical rationale of exploiting human subjects for testing a new treatment when a proven treatment exists for a given condition. Conditions for assuming that research subjects are not being exploited in clinical trials; Definition of the term exploitation; Requirements for constituting fair terms for interacting with human research subjects.

Deals with ethical problems of medical practice. Diverse practice of healthcare ethics consultation; Significance of making rules of interpretation and perception explicit in detecting sexism in ethics consultation; Cases which illustrate instances where sexist attitudes emerge in complex rules of action and perception.

The article discusses issues concerning the use of prudential life approach to health care provision to patients. Topics covered include the impact of the approach on patients with severe dementia as well as the implications of the approach to protect researchers from bias samples. Also mentioned is the risk associated with the use of this approach.

Reports on the drafting of a near-final version of emergency medical service (EMS) guidelines for the No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Program of Washington State. Permission for EMS personnel to withhold CPR from Washington State residents who have written directives; Patient bracelets; Limitations of the guidelines.

The article discusses findings of feminist consciousness-raising groups in earlier generations. It highlights individual instances of bad luck but were socially produced by unsustainable professional demands brought on by overwork and burnout from the labor of intellectual and caring tasks within the neoliberal university.

The article talks about the ethics of controlled human infection to address COVID-19 virus. It mentions about the ethical framework for SARS-CoV-2 controlled human infection studies (CHIs) such as need to establish and enforce standards for data collection in SARS-CoV-2 CHIs; and enrolling younger and adult participants without comorbidities.