Conversations In Bioethics

In this episode, Dr. Paul Ford from the Center for Bioethics at the Cleveland Clinic, have a conversation about the article, “Four Models of the Physician-Patient Relationship,” by Ezekiel Emanuel and Linda Emanuel, which first appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association in the September 1992 issue. We analyze the relevance of the four models in health care today, as well as when, and to what extent, physicians and other health professionals should aim to emulate these or other developed models. We also discuss the role that one’s conception of autonomy plays in adopting a particular model.

Episode #12 -- Coping with the social distancing and other effects of the coronavirus, a Counselor Educator’s Perspective. In this episode, I interview Dr. Elliott Ingersoll, Professor and Chairperson of Counseling, Adult Learning and Educational Leadership at Cleveland State University. Dr. Ingersoll is also the producer and host of the podcast, Apply Topically. In this episode, we discuss a variety of issues, including how to think about the benefits and harms of social distancing to flatten the curve v. potential long term psychological effects of social isolation and economic hardship, continued social distancing for vulnerable groups and how it  could impact their feelings of despair and social isolation, the disproportionate effects of the virus on minority groups, especially African Americans, in terms of mental health issues, and advice to help individuals (and college students) as they continue to cope with the daily effects of the stay at home orders and social distancing.

Episode 11- The Theory of Happiness (feat. Apply Topically). In this special episode of the podcast, Dr. Toni Nicoletti discusses the philosophy of happiness in relation to issues in counseling. The content of this episode can also be found on the podcast, Apply Topically, sponsored by the department of counseling education at Cleveland State University, produced and hosted by Dr. Elliott Ingersoll. While the episode departs slightly from the main areas typically discussed in bioethics, the topic is relevant to issues in bioethics. Should happiness be treated as a proper area of medicine, or is this an enhancement that is beyond the proper province of current medical practice? In this interview, we discuss various theories of happiness and reasons why we should take an (medical?) interest in helping people become happier.

Episode 10 -- Is IVF strictly for sex selection morally permissible? While many clinics do not offer in vitro fertilization (IVF) solely for the purpose of choosing the sex of a child, the practice is legal in some countries, including the United States. In this episode, Dr. Toni Nicoletti and Dr. Sonya Charles offer their take on several recent feminist arguments against the practice. In the course of the discussion, they also discuss philosophical arguments in favor of the practice as well as the issue of sex selection in recent social media its connection to recent practices in parenting, including "helicopter" and "project" parenting.

Episode 9 – Assisted Reproductive Technology – Ethical Issues Involving In Vitro Fertilization and other Reproductive Technologies. In this episode, Dr. Allyson Robichaud, Cleveland State Philosophy Department Faculty, and Dr. Toni Nicoletti, Cleveland State Philosophy Department faculty, discuss the current state of in vitro fertilization and the uses to which reproductive technology have been put, focusing on some of the main ethical issues faced by physicians and patients, and the industry as a whole. 

Episode 8 - Part 2: Interview with Transplant Ethicist Dr. Mahwish Ahmad (continued) In this episode, we delve deeper into the informed consent process for both living donors and potential organ recipients. We consider issues that arise with anonymous and directed donation, as well as issues with transplant recipients, including those with a history of substance abuse. 

Episode 7 - Transplant Ethics: Interview with Dr. Mahwish Ahmad  In this episode, Dr. Toni Nicoletti (or I??) interview Dr. Mahwish Ahmad, who is a physician and transplant ethicist in Bioethics at the Cleveland Clinic, as well as a member of the UNOS ethics committee. This interview is a two part interview. In part 1, we discuss the role of UNOS in procuring organs for transplant and managing the fair allocation of organs in the United States. We also discuss Dr. Ahmad's role on the transplant team at the Cleveland Clinic and living donation.  

Episode 6 – Moral Distress – What does it mean, what are its practical effects in nursing, and what actions can be taken to mitigate its effects? In this episode, Dr. Toni Nicoletti interviews Dr. Georgina Morley, Nursing Fellow, Bioethics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Morley wrote her dissertation on moral distress and continues to research and publish on the topic. Beginning her career as a nurse in the United Kingdom, Dr. Morley became deeply interested in the practical effects of moral distress on nurses. Now, having studied the issue in the U.K. and the United States, she talks about why she believes that the definition of the term should be broadened from Andrew Jameton’s definition in his early work on the issue, the practical consequences of moral distress on nurses, and how institutions can mitigate the effects of moral distress through continued education and other institutional practices.  

Episode 5 – Is it Morally Permissible for Parents to Lie to their Children about Donor Gametes? Interview with Sonya Charles, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy faculty, Cleveland State University. In this episode, Dr. Toni Nicoletti interviews Dr. Sonya Charles about a chapter in her new book, Parents and Virtues: An Analysis of Moral Development and Parental Virtue (published 2019 by Lexington Books). We discuss her use of virtue theory in the context of parenting, and in particular, her argument that virtuous parenting prohibits lying to children about the use of donor eggs and sperm. 

Episode 4 – Physician Assisted Suicide, Voluntary Euthanasia, and Progress Dementia Disorder (PDD)  In the second part of this two part interview, Dr. Toni Nicoletti interviews Mr. Samuel H. LiPuma, AssociateProfessor at Cuyahoga Community College  and Dr. Joseph P. DeMarco, professor emeritus in philosophy at Cleveland State University, on their new book, The Dying Experience: Expanding Options for Dying and Suffering Patients. The episode begins with a discussion of the definition of a rational suicide and when a rational suicide is morally permissible. The authors then discuss how this definition can be used to expand the moral justification of physician assisted suicide beyond terminal patients to include patients with progressive dementia disorder. Practical problems with this expansion are discussed and the authors also discuss problems with criticisms of arguments against physician assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia, rejecting the Doctrine of Double Effect as a legitimate way to distinguish justified from unjustified cases that involve hastening death.