IN fOCUS

IN fOCUS is a forum for exploring substantive issues in health care ethics of current interest and importance. Each two-page issue devotes attention to a topic suggested by recurring consultation questions from the field or new developments in bioethics within and outside VHA. Links to references and additional resources take readers to helpful tools and enable those who wish to explore the given topic more deeply.

Informed Consent Do's and Don'ts for Best Practice (August 2006) [PDF]

“Teach Back”: A Tool for Improving Provider-Patient Communication (April 2006) [PDF]

When Patients Refuse Treatment (December 2005) [PDF]

Ethical Considerations in Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain (April 2005) [PDF]

Caring for Patients in Persistent Vegetative State (March 2005) [PDF]

Privacy, Safety, and Social Security Numbers (February 2005) [PDF] Note: Since this IN fOCUS was published, VHA Directive 2005-029, Transfusion Verification and Identification Requirements for All Sites  (July 1, 2005) [PDF] has been issued. It requires that "all patients reporting for hospital admission or ambulatory procedure must be issued a patient identification wristband that contains the patient's full name, full social security number (SSN) and a bar code that displays the patient's full SSN."

Goals of Care in the ICU: Palliative Care at the End of Life (January 2005) [PDF]

Catholic Teaching on Artificially Administered Nutrition & Hydration (December 2004) [PDF]

(Note: IN fOCUS replaces the health care ethics content formerly offered by news@vhaethics. Past issues of news@vhaethics can be found on the Archives page.)

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