Ethics Talk

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Natasha Dolgin, an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, interviewed Dorry Segev, MD, PhD, about organ allocation policy and geographic disparities in access, possible ways to maximize equity, and advice physicians should give their patients between policy changes. Dr. Segev is an associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Trisha Paul, a second-year medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School, interviewed Kelly Parent about what makes patient- and family-centered care an inclusive approach to health care delivery and how this approach is being implemented. Kelly Parent is the patient- and family-centered care program specialist for quality and safety at the University of Michigan Health System.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Cynthia Tsay, MPhil, a second-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine, interviewed Robert Levine, MD, about changes in clinical research guidelines, problems with IRB documentation, and the top ethical challenges facing clinical researchers today. Dr. Levine is a professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and a Hastings Center fellow.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics editor-in-chief Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, interviewed Wendy Levinson, MD, about the efforts of the Choosing Wisely initiative to foster cultural change in medicine cross-nationally by stimulating dialogue about overuse of tests and treatments. Dr. Levinson is professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and leads Choosing Wisely Canada and International.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Nikhil A. Patel, MS, a fourth-year medical student at the Mayo Medical School, interviewed Joia Mukherjee, MD, MPH, about Partners In Health's mission to strengthen low-income countries' health care systems and lessons learned from the Ebola crisis. Dr. Mukherjee is the chief medical officer of Partners In Health and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor W. Miller Johnstone III, MD, PhD, a resident in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Buffalo, interviewed Kate M. Lally, MD, about patient-centered management of end-of-life care, the unique care needs of women with advanced gynecologic cancers, and how to prepare medical students and residents to hold difficult conversations with patients. Dr. Lally is the director of palliative care for Care New England Health System and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics editor-in-chief Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, interviewed Peter A. Ubel, MD, about factors contributing to the high cost of health care, how to bend the cost curve, and the compatibility of cost containment and profit seeking. Dr. Ubel is the Dennis T. McLawhorn University Professor at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.

AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Amanda Xi, MD, a transitional year resident at Henry Ford Hospital, interviewed Donald M. Berwick, MD, shortly before the Supreme Court's decision in King versus Burwell. Dr. Berwick discussed progress in meeting the health care goals of the ACA and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and next steps for improving patient care. A former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Berwick is a senior fellow and president emeritus at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor, Gaurav Jay Dhiman, a third-year medical student at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, interviewed Jonathan D. Moreno, PhD, on the role of bioethicists in military research and ethical issues in research on people with disabilities. Dr. Moreno is the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania.

This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor, Nadi N. Kaonga, a medical student and predoctoral candidate at Tufts University in Boston, interviewed Gordon D. Schiff, MD, on reframing professional boundaries in the patient-physician relationship. Dr. Schiff, author of "Crossing Boundaries—Violation or Obligation?," is a primary care physician and activist and a safety and quality improvement researcher at Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital.