'Podcasts' Category
Emergency Contraception – New Questions on an Old Theme (22)
The FDA has recently approved the French emergency contraceptive drug (ella) for clinical use in the United States. In an earlier blog post, we expressed our objection. The new drug is actually chemically related to the abortion drug RU-486 (mifepristone), and it has a high likelihood acting as an abortifacient. In other words, the drug [...]
Free Will: Does it Exist? Does it Matter? (21)
Is free will just an illusion? Determinism implies that human beings have no real choices. If so, then moral philosophy and ethics have no basis. Here are excerpts from a debate between a theist (Dr. Dennis Sullivan, Cedarville University) and an atheist (Dr. William Provine, Cornell University). Sources: Robert Kane: A Contemporary Introduction to Free [...]
Health Care Reform: What Are the Ethical Stakes? (20)
Our nation has been engaged in a contentious debate over legislation to reform the health care system. Dr. John Vitaliti returns as my guest to discuss the ethical issues at the root of our current health care crisis. A subsequent podcast will look at the pros and cons of various legislative efforts. Theme Music: Gli [...]
Should Doctors Apologize? (19)
When medical errors happen, should doctors apologize to their patients? Doesn’t that idea simply guarantee a costly lawsuit? What are the ethical implications of all this? In this podcast, we discuss the ethics of apologies. My guest is Dr. John Vitaliti, a former practicing anesthesiologist, who studies the issues surrounding malpractice and tort reform. Source: [...]
Removing Ethics from Medicine? (18)
In a radio interview, Center for Bioethics Director Dennis Sullivan discusses the elimination of the Ethics Department at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine. Source: American Medical News Link Theme Music: Gli Uccelli (The Birds), Part I. Prelude (Allegro moderato), by Respighi, courtesy of Shockwave Sound. Except as noted, all additional music courtesy of [...]
The Coming Bioethics Tsunami (17)
New biomedical technologies, combined with our current economic crisis and growing skepticism over values in our society, have formed a “perfect wave” of ethical challenges. The coming bioethics tsunami threatens to overwhelm our historical commitment to human value and dignity. This month’s podcast is based on an address Dr. Sullivan gave in the Cedarville University [...]
Womb for Rent – The Ethics of Surrogate Motherhood (15)
Our podcast for November is a discussion of the complex issue of surrogate motherhood. In many parts of the world it is legal, but is it ethical? We present case study of a British couple that went to India to obtain a baby with the help of a surrogate. Our analysis will look at the [...]
Medical Tourism – It’s No Vacation (14)
Our July podcast is all about medical tourism. This is a growing trend in the United States, where some patients are going to other countries for their medical care. The idea is perhaps understandable in a medical system overburdened with waiting lists, third-party payer denials, and high costs. But there are serious risks along with [...]
To Clone or Not to Clone? (13)
Today’s podcast is all about the subject of human cloning. The discussion is based on Dr. Sullivan’s recent public testimony before an Ohio Senate subcommittee on a bill to ban human cloning. We examine the context of cloning, both as a possible reproductive technology and (more likely) as a source of human embryos for stem [...]
The Nazi Medical Research Data: Use It or Lose It? (12)
In today’s podcast, we talk about one of the most egregious abuses of ethics in modern history: the horrible medical experiments carried out by Nazi physicians during WWII. Should we make use of the data that the Nazi doctors obtained, even though it was often gathered by taking the lives of Jewish prisoners in death [...]
