The ethics of a blood test after a needlestick injury

Physician
December 29, 2013

It was late on a Friday afternoon in November. I was a 21 year-old medical student diligently waiting for an opportunity to practice some medical procedures when a patient was admitted who was happy for a student to “have a go” at taking blood. Cue a bit of anxious excitement (clinical medicine was still new to me) before some inner steeling and a formal consent process. Then, in went the …

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The ethics of a blood test after a needlestick injury

When social media connections with patients are NSFW

Social media
October 20, 2013

Patients have gone online, digital natives are entering medical schools and regulatory bodies, like the General Medical Council in the UK, are scrambling to respond to the impact these changes are having on medical professionalism.

The possibilities for enhanced learning, better communication and higher quality care are vast. Social media, which has been described as the greatest revolution since the Gutenberg printing press, can provide patients with faster and easier access to doctors …

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When social media connections with patients are NSFW