Truth and Responsibility posted on 2020-04-21
Medical professionals are traditionally identified as purveyors of truth. In fact, truth-telling has become a cornerstone of doctor-patient relationships. In recent years, the patient’s right to autonomy seems to have trumped the doctor’s ethical obligations to beneficence and nonmaleficence1. In a recent Gallup poll2, nurses were considered the most trustworthy and ethical of all professionals [Read More]
Infodemics posted on 2020-04-17
We are deluged with information these days. A simple PubMed search of COVID-19 reveals 4806 articles published since January 1, 2020. Every medical society publishes guidelines, many of which contain information that is not evidence-based. Networks pummel us with supposedly expert commentary. Journalists become opinion leaders overnight, and a multitude of physicians educate us about [Read More]
Children and COVID-19 posted on 2020-04-15
Honesty, Respect, and Reassurance. These three cardinal rules for sharing bad news with children are worth remembering. Thankfully, kids don’t often get COVID-19. Less than 2.5% of cases are reported worldwide. When children are infected, they usually become only mildly ill, though asymptomatic infections are not uncommon1. In one study from the Wuhan Children’s Hospital, [Read More]
A Celebration for Change posted on 2020-04-12
In Judeo-Christian tradition, this is a time for joy and celebration, whether to honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ or the liberation of the Hebrew people from bonds of oppression in ancient Egypt. Some say the word Easter comes from the Old English word ēostre. While the etymology is debated, some scholars associate this [Read More]
Short Circuit posted on 2020-04-10
As I write this note, my mother is dying in a hospital room in Southern France. She is alone. Visitors are not allowed. My elderly father is quarantined in his home, an ancient four-story stone house that dates almost from the Middle Ages. In two months they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. But [Read More]