Virtual Mentor. August 2008, Volume 10, Number 8: 483-537. Full Issue PDF

August 2008 Contents

Establishing the Boundaries of Informed Consent

Ethics Poll

During an office visit, how often does your physician ask permission to do something or explain what he or she is doing (e.g., "Now I'm going to palpate your liver") before proceeding with that step in the exam?
Always.
Sometimes.
Only if I ask.
Never.

When asked to make a decision about a test or therapeutic procedure, how well informed do you feel about your diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, and the risks and benefits of the test or treatment?
Well informed enough to feel comfortable with my decision.
I usually wish I had more information.
I have enough information, but I don't know how to interpret it.
Even after asking questions, I do not feel well enough informed.

The last time you initiated a medical encounter and were given a written statement (e.g., consent to treat, HIPAA policy information) on a clipboard to sign, which of the following did you do?
Read and understood it thoroughly before signing.
Read it and did not understand all the language, but signed it.
Glanced over it and signed it.
Accepted the staff member's description of what the statement said and signed it.
Asked specific questions before signing the statement.
Did not sign the statement.

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From the Editor

The Less-Told Stories of Informed Consent
Virtual Mentor editors
Full Text | PDF
Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:485-486.

Educating for Professionalism

Clinical Cases

Informed Refusal in the Emergency Department…Is It Really Informed?
Commentary by Matthew R. Lewin
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:487-491.

Informed Consent: When and Why
Commentary by Erin A. Egan
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:492-495.

Withholding Information from an Adolescent
Commentary by Libby Brockman and Megan A. Moreno
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:496-500.

How Much Information Is Enough?
Commentary by Jay Jacobson
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:501-505.

Medical Education

Framing Permission for Halting or Continuing Life-Extending Therapies
Chris Feudtner, David Munson, and Wynne Morrison
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:506-510.

Journal Discussion

How Reliable is the Competency Assessment Process?
Jorie Epstein
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:511-515.

Clinical Pearl

The Hazards of Stopping a Brain in Motion: Evaluation and Classification of Traumatic Brain Injury
Kristin M. Johnson
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:516-520.

Law, Policy, and Society

Health Law

The Legal Boundaries of Informed Consent
Olubukunola Mary Tawose
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:521-523.

Policy Forum

Role of Independent Advocates for Research Subjects Who Are Child Wards of the State
Hafzah Mueenuddin and Eric D. Kodish
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:524-526.

Medicine and Society

The Patient’s Piece of the Informed Consent Pie
Abraham P. Schwab
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Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:527-530.

Resources

Suggested Readings and Resources
PDF
Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:531-535.

About the Contributors
Full Text | PDF
Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10:536-537.