I have long been concerned with how our nosologies–the way in which we classify diseases, and decide which human conditions count as diseases–exemplify a mix of science and social values. In my work, I’ve touched on this with obesity, and … Continue reading
I appreciated Sorcha’s excellent blog the other day in the lead-up to the Irish vote on whether to repeal the 8th amendment which was added to the Irish constitution 25 years ago. For more background, check it out. But I … Continue reading
We all see things through our lenses, for good or for ill. And when listening to the numbers of civilian casualties in Gaza in U.S. press coverage over the last few days, I kept thinking about the emergency rooms and … Continue reading
Today, May 1, is known in the labor rights movement as May Day or International Workers’ Day. It celebrates the dignity of laboring humans and the right to be seen as and live as fully human. I want to use … Continue reading
I am struck by what health care disparities and the lived experiences of postpartum patients mean for implementation of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s new guidelines on postpartum care. These guidelines valuably refocus the medical establishment’s focus on … Continue reading
April is Autism Awareness Month in the U.S. All too often, the rhetoric around autism is shaped by the needs and voices of the caregivers and families of people who are autistic. Goodness knows the perspectives of caregivers and families … Continue reading
My New Year’s Resolutions about obligations to self and others in no particular order, and about balancing work and life and activism as a woman, a mother, and a feminist bioethicist. 1) Move in ways that feel good, as much … Continue reading
The long-time reader of IJFAB Blog, and alert bioethicist who follows the news, will remember the Flint water crisis. As numerous investigative news articles–and even at least one news comedy show–have pointed out, Flint is by no means alone in the … Continue reading
I want to consider a particular kind of wrong within medicine and health promotion: epistemic injustice and its harms. My case study is obesity conceived of as a public health concern. However, the analytic framework I deploy may prove useful … Continue reading
The Salt Lake Tribune (from the US State of Utah) posted an article yesterday about a nurse who refused to let a police officer trained in phlebotomy take a blood sample from an unconscious patient. The nurse was arrested and … Continue reading
Hi, folks. I just got this in my e-mail and thought I’d share it more widely in case anyone is interested in the IJFAB subscription discount that University of Toronto Press is offering this summer. The full advert includes pictures … Continue reading
Since 2010, I have incorporated Remote Area Medical (RAM) into my medical ethics teaching. RAM is an organization that relies on corporate donations, individual charitable donations, and time-and-skill donations by health care providers to provide healthcare boot camps for 2-3 days … Continue reading