Synopsis
This timely Fourth Edition offers clinicians expert guidance in approaching a wide range of ethical dilemmas and developing an action plan. Most chapters include real-life sample cases that the author walks through, discussing the salient issues and how to approach them.
This edition includes a new chapter on ethical issues in cross-cultural medicine and new material on conscientious objection by physicians in reproductive health and other areas. Other topics addressed include disclosure of errors to patients, gifts to physicians from drug companies, involuntary psychiatric treatment, genomic medicine, and ethical issues during public health emergencies such as pandemics. The updated discussion of organ transplantation includes increasing the donor pool and non-heart beating donors.
Brian Lynch
This is a new source for resolving clinical problems in medical ethics. The purpose of the book is to serve as a guide for solving clinical problems in ethics whether they are mundane in nature or dramatic. These are appropriate goals and are met by this work. The principle audience of the work is the clinician and it is not directed at any particular specialty. This being the case, it is equally suited to the medical student and house officer. The author does an excellent job of reaching his stated audience and his credentials are well suited to his task. Technically, the references are appropriate in their currency and pertinence to the subject matter and the book is well indexed. The overall styling and layout of the book are appropriate. This book is an excellent addition to the medical ethics literature. It is a useful reference for any clinician, student, or resident that is not well conversant in the issues of medical ethics. Its goal is both to propose a way of problem solving and to get the reader to think through a problem. At the same time, the work offers definite suggestions on how to solve a problem using case histories. It is written in a style that is inviting, well organized, and that avoids much reference to formal philosophy. A slight problem with the book is the length. The book should be read in its entirety. Given its intended audience, it would probably not be read in its entirety, although this is not that serious as it is also an excellent reference. The book would be a logical purchase for a library, individual, or bookstore as it is a reference book as well as a rather complete primer on basic medical ethics.