A series discussing hot topics and cases in the field of ethics. Discussions have included marijuana treatment for childhood seizure disorders and Colorado’s Right to Try law and patients who are seeking experimental treatments. Interaction, discussion, debate and personal reflection are encouraged at these events which are free and open to the public. Topic suggestions are welcome - please e-mail
Heidi.Mallon@ucdenver.edu with your ideas for future Ethics Bites.
CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR UPCOMING TALKS:
ARCHIVED RECORDINGS OF PAST EVENTS:
Do We Need More Organ Transplants? was presented by Govind Persad, JD, PhD on October 12, 2015. Transplant advocates and critics both agree that expanding organ procurement would save lives. In contrast, Persad argues that organ transplantation is less cost-effective than many other interventions, and expanding procurement might actually cost lives by diverting limited resources.
"A Question of Mercy and Morality? A Debate on Assisted Dying," was held on April 27th, 2015, featuring perspectives of Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD, psychiatrist and past-president of the American Medical Association, Harlan Davis Hibbard, MD, former Senior Medical Director of Gentiva Hospice and Jennifer Ballentine, MA, Vice-President of Hospice Analytics. Click for audience response data.
A conversation about "Parental Vaccine Hesitancy: Ethical Considerations and Conundrums," was held on March 23rd, 2015, led by Matthew F. Daley, MD and Jason M. Glanz, PhD. They discussed respect for parental decision-making, the "social contract," and the negotiations that occur between parents and providers. "To transplant or not to transplant? Getting a liver after attempting suicide," presented by Jean Abbott, MD, MH on January 26, 2015. Your patient attempts suicide with acetaminophen. She only will survive with a liver transplant. Hear the discussion of the ethics of transplantation after self-injury."Ebola and Ethics," was presented by Charles M. Little, DO, FACEP, Director of Emergency Preparedness at University of Colorado Hospital on November 24th, 2014. This review of facts and preparation activities was followed by a discussion of case study on the ethics of medical care and community aspects of this disease.
Ethics Bites: Colorado's new Right to Try law was presented on July 28, 2014. This discussion featured two cases about terminally ill patients seeking experimental drugs; one about a four-year old with Niemann-Pick disease and another case about a woman with stage IV pancreatic cancer, facilitated by Christopher Lieu, MD-UCH Medical Oncology and Alison Sorkin, UCH Assistant General Counsel.
Ethics Bites: Marijuana Therapy for Epilepsy on June 23, 2014. This discussion focused on a case about a 14 year-old patient with seizures that are not well-controlled by medication. His parents want to try "Charlotte's Web," marijuana and are seeking a medical marijuana license for their son.
5280 Magazine featured an article by Kasey Cordell on this topic. TIME Magazine also featured excerpts from this event in their special edition, "Marijuana Goes Main Street." Facilitators were Kari Franson, PharmD, PhD, BCPP, from University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Heather Fitzgerald, RN, MS, Clinical Nurse Ethicist at Children's Hospital Colorado.