News by Subject Policy & Ethics

Researchers writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine are warning that current research models and regulation are blocking the development of human-relevant approaches to drug discovery and are perpetuating animal-based approaches. The UK currently has world-leading research in this area but significant investment in non-animal technologies is taking place in the US and Europe.

In seeking to pinpoint why black or African-American scientists are less likely than their white counterparts to receive National Institutes of Health research funding, a group of researchers has identified early career publications as a likely contributor to the gap.

Firearm violence is a significant public health problem worldwide. In the United States, firearms are used to kill almost 100 people daily. Yet despite the staggering impact of firearm violence, there is limited research directed at preventing or addressing its impact on individuals, families and communities.

In an effort to lessen readmission risk after discharge and achieve the best possible outcomes for patients, hospital-based clinicians are more intentionally planning discharge of those who require post-acute care (PAC). Yet, although hospital clinicians strive to effectively refer patients who require PAC, their discharge-planning processes often vary greatly and typically are not evidence-based.

Scientists from 10 universities say an international oversight panel is needed to guide decisions about whether and when to employ gene-editing technology to solve ecological problems.

Two decades ago, a landmark study by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) highlighted the prevalence of medical errors and called for a national commitment to reduce patient harm. Despite substantial investment by government and private institutions to increase patient safety, progress has been slow and uneven. A new study, published today in the November issue of the journal Health Affairs, sheds light on what more can be done.

Brigham and Women's Hospital evaluated liability effects of communication-and-resolution programs. Their results found these programs were associated with improved trends in rate of new claims & legal defense costs.

Most single women who freeze their eggs for non-medical reasons are doing so to avoid 'panic parenting' (entering into unwise relationships to have a genetically related child), a new study published in Human Fertility finds.

Confusion and ambiguity in how US patients and researchers perceive genetic privacy is uncovered by a study published Oct. 31, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ellen W. Clayton from Vanderbilt University, USA, and colleagues.