Battin, Quill Use “Research” for Political Purposes

October 1, 2007assisted suicide, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, researchStephen Drake

…political and have an established position in this debate? Isn’t the same true of Tucker? Come to think of it, the same is true of Battin. One last bit from this article… Battin wouldn’t discuss her opinion on the issue, saying that her view is not relevant to the study. “Every person has a view about this study, but our research was intended to look for evidence of these 10 groups being vulnerable, not to make a statement on whether it should be…

FDA, Lack of Oversight and Doctors Who Break the Law

October 5, 2007FDA, Our News & Commentary Blog, professional accountability, researchStephen Drake

…ng informed consent or giving enough information so that consent could be truly informed,” Drake adds. “It seems we are giving further powers to a group that has a shitty track record of obeying already existing rules.” It’s obvious that was sliding during the Clinton years is sinking under the Bush administration, and that things have gone from very bad to almost worse than one can imagine. Like I said, I’m late on this. The Medical Humanities Bl…

“End of Life” – Questions and a Suggested Response for Disability Advocates

October 6, 2007"end of life", bioethics, life-ending decisions, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…id rule that Poutre should “pass away with dignity,” but the day after the ruling the news was released that Poutre had clearly recovered some level of consciousness. Poutre was transferred to rehabilitation and we assume is no longer an “end of life” case – for now, anyway. I’m stopping here, but the range of situations and individuals who have fallen under the “end of life” umbrella is truly remarkable – and probably growing. As a matter of fact…

Bob Kafka Replies to Robert Fine’s Defense of Texas “Futility”

October 12, 2007activism, bioethics, futile care, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…rsh critique of the Texas Advance Directives Act by Robert T. Truog, M.D. Truog’s Tackling Medical Futility in Texas is freely available (although it might require free registration). Here is an excerpt from Truog’s critique: On the other hand, the Texas law’s effectiveness as a mechanism for reaching closure in difficult cases is also what makes it most problematic. It relies on a due-process approach that is more illusory than real and that risk…

Letter Asks Amer. Psych. Assoc. to Condemn Torture – Against People with Disabilities

October 13, 2007advocacy, Our News & Commentary Blog, professional accountability, tortureStephen Drake

…is document. So, a lot of us applaud the stand against aiding torture and cruel treatment of state prisoners, but aren’t surprised that the cautions aren’t applied to people with disabilities. Recently, Mother Jones magazine became the latest member of the media to shine the spotlight on the cruel and inhumane treatment inflicted on students with disabilities at the infamous Judge Rotenberg Center in its feature story “School of Shock.” Here’s an…