New Paradigms in Medical Ethics

As new technologies develop, new ethical paradigms may be needed. This article considers several examples, such as stopping venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), treating patients who are in a locked-in-like state who have awareness, purposefully deceiving patients who have dementia, meeting the needs of transgender persons, showing loved ones patients' wounds, and doing research on controlled substances. I suggest that clinicians should identify the practices underlying their value assumptions so they can alter their assumptions when this might improve the care they offer to their patients.