Interventional radiologists and those in training are often faced with challenging ethical dilemmas such as differentiating between palliative versus futile care or managing conflicts of interest. Applied Ethics in IR is a practical approach to navigating challenging situations. The resources below were created as part of this initiative and are short, evidence-based guides for training or quick reference during your workday.
Guides
I. Symptom Management
- Delirium
- Refractory ascites
- Refractory pleural effusions
- Tube feeds
- Safe and effective opioid prescribing
- Dying process
II. Self-Care and Resilience
- Burnout
- Disclosing medical errors
- Coping with an angry patient
- Coping with complications/tragedy
III. Complex Decision Making
- Delivering bad news
- Family meeting
- Futility/Dealing with unnecessary/non-indicated procedure requests
- Prognostication
IV. Establishing Goals of Care
- Code discussion
- Decision making capacity
- Informed consent
- Hospice
- Palliative care consult
Other Resources
- Palliative versus Futile Care
- JVIR Letter to the Editor
- Multisociety Guideline on Potentially Inappropriate Procedures
- Feeding Tube for Severe Dementia: Choosing Wisely / Geriatric Society Position Statement
- Center to Advance Palliative Care Tools
- Palliative Care Fast Facts
- The Conversation Project
- Tools for Preparing Advance Directives
- Managing Complications
Applied Ethics in IR is an initiative supported by SIR and SIO to instill an ethics consciousness in IR through forums at conferences, education, and research and to develop practical tools and guidelines for navigating the challenging situations faced by the specialty.
Our working group is comprised of faculty and trainees across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, please contact Michelle M. Shnayder at shnayder@med.umich.edu OR Eric J. Keller at ejkeller@stanford.edu.