Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: A Guide for Clinicians

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.

Booknews

Presents practical solutions to ethical dilemmas encountered in clinical practice. Discusses issues such as active euthanasia, notification of HIV test results, managed care, futile interventions, guidelines for clinical studies, the doctor-patient relationship, and organ transplantation. Includes case studies. Can be used as a reference in making decisions and for a more systematic reading on ethical issues. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

From The Critics

Reviewer: Erica Rangel, BA(Saint Louis University)
Description: In this fourth edition of his influential book, author Bernard Lo again offers a practical, easy-to-read introduction to many of the most difficult and important ethical issues in contemporary patient care. This update of the 2005 edition includes several new chapters on important current issues, including genomics, organ transplantation, and cross-cultural medicine.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide expert guidance to clinicians as they approach a wide range of ethical dilemmas and attempt to develop an action plan for handling them, even in the midst of contention. Lo succeeds by constructing a clear and practical method for managing these dilemmas, and offering an excellent introductory book for numerous current issues facing clinical ethics.
Audience: This is written for anyone providing or involved in patient care. It is particularly useful for physicians and nurses in training, as well as anyone looking for a high quality overview of the ethics issues involved in contemporary medicine.
Features: The book begins by addressing the fundamentals of clinical ethics and then moving on to engage different areas of interest, including shared decision-making, the doctor-patient relationship, and conflicts of interest. Among the new features in this edition are the updated references and index, chapter summaries, and clearly marked cases and tables for quick reference.
Assessment: This is among the most comprehensive and practical overviews of practical clinical ethics for clinicians. Because the chapters are short and well divided with informative subheadings, the book is extremely easy to reference. In addition, the bibliography on any particular topic would be an excellent starting point for further reading or research. However, while the new chapters on genomics, organ transplantation, and cross-cultural medicine are important additions, clinicians not involved directly in these practices need not purchase the new edition.

4 Stars! from Doody