7.28
Medical Ethics
100 years of insulin
100 years of insulin
On July 27, 1921, Canadian doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully isolated the hormone insulin, one of the most important breakthroughs in treating diabetes. Experts from around the University share their thoughts on the medical triumph on the 100th anniversary.
Project reveals ongoing unreported violations of rights with medical deportations
Project reveals ongoing unreported violations of rights with medical deportations
Researchers in the Legislative Clinic at Penn Law and Free Migration Project have released a new report on the use of medical deportations in the U.S.
Researchers study thought process behind revealing Alzheimer’s test results
Researchers study thought process behind revealing Alzheimer’s test results
Two qualitative studies try to understand individuals’ decision-making process as they choose whom, why and how to share information regarding their Alzheimer’s disease biomarker and genetic testing results.
The potential role of vaccine certificates in the next phase of the pandemic
The potential role of vaccine certificates in the next phase of the pandemic
Public health law expert Eric Feldman and medical ethicist Emily Largent discuss the legal and ethical implications of companies and organizations requiring proof of vaccination to reengage with different sectors of the economy.
Abramson Cancer Center doubles the percentage of Black participants in clinical trials
Abramson Cancer Center doubles the percentage of Black participants in clinical trials
Afive-year community outreach and engagement effort more than doubled the percentage of participants, improving access and treatment for a group with historically low representation in cancer research.
Racial bias in mortality prediction scores
Racial bias in mortality prediction scores
In mass casualty situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality prediction models alone could divert scarce critical care resources away from Black patients.
Reflecting on a year shaped by COVID-19
Reflecting on a year shaped by COVID-19
Penn Today brings together noteworthy stories and images from the past year and highlights ways for individual members of the Penn community to share their personal experiences.
Jason Karlawish on the science and history of Alzheimer’s
Jason Karlawish on the science and history of Alzheimer’s
The the co-director of the Penn Memory Center outlines the medical, social, and ethical challenges that surround Alzheimer’s disease.
Gutmann, Moreno talk ‘Pandemic Ethics’ at Power of Penn event
The co-authors of ‘Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die’ joined virtually with moderator Andrea Mitchell and Penn Alumni to discuss the many bioethical concerns that have only heightened with COVID-19’s spread.
Two Penn faculty named Hastings Center Fellows
Two Penn faculty named Hastings Center Fellows
Scott D. Halpern and Jennifer Prah Ruger are acknowledged for their outstanding accomplishments in ethics and health.
In the News
The New York Times
COVID news: Vermont leads U.S. in vaccinations
Steven Joffe of the Perelman School of Medicine said former FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn will have to walk an ethical fine line in his new role as chief medical officer at a venture capital firm, as federal rules limit his engagement with the FDA going forward.
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NPR
Amid record pandemic travel, what’s safe? And the debate over vaccine passports
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel spoke about so-called “vaccine passports” and privacy. “In public health there’s a principle that you should use the least restrictive method necessary,” he said. “This allows us to say, ‘Those people who’ve gotten vaccinated, you don’t have to adhere to certain restrictions because you are now immune.’”
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The Washington Post
Vaccines are about to become a free-for-all. Here’s how to ensure it’s done equitably
Harald Schmidt of the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored an op-ed calling for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution. “Three things are central: prioritizing more vulnerable communities; conveying that doing so is good for both public health and equity; and making clear that equity is not the enemy of efficiency,” Schmidt and his co-authors wrote.
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The New York Times
A Yale psychiatrist’s tweet about Dershowitz, her dismissal, and a lawsuit
PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno said he hadn’t heard of anyone being disciplined by the American Psychiatric Association for breaking the Goldwater rule, which says it’s unethical for psychiatrists to issue professional opinions about public figures they haven’t examined.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
No, vaccine seekers, your condo is not a congregate living facility
Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine explained why apartment buildings and condo associations shouldn’t encourage their residents to cut the COVID-19 vaccine line by claiming to live in “congregate settings.” “I would also like to be vaccinated,” she wrote. “But each of us has an ethical obligation to wait our turn.”
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The Washington Post
Age-based vaccine distribution is not only unethical. It’s also bad health policy
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel and Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine collaborated with Govind Persad of the University of Denver on an op-ed about equity in COVID-19 vaccine distribution models. “Age-only distribution is unethical, likely illegal and bad health policy,” they wrote.
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