Michael Grodin
Boston University, Medicine, Faculty Member
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Professor, Boston Universityedit
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Ophthalmology, Medical Education, Systems Analysis, Medicine, Curriculum, and 12 moreProspective studies, Humans, Computer Simulation, Computer Assisted Instruction, Female, Male, Retina, Surgical Simulation, Educational Models, Optometry and Ophthalmology, Clinical Competence, and Epiretinal Membrane
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This article, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Doctors' Trial at Nuremberg, reflects on the Nazi eugenics and "euthanasia" programs and their relevance for today. The Nazi doctors used eugenic ideals to... more
This article, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Doctors' Trial at Nuremberg, reflects on the Nazi eugenics and "euthanasia" programs and their relevance for today. The Nazi doctors used eugenic ideals to justify sterilizations, child and adult "euthanasia," and, ultimately, genocide. Contemporary euthanasia has experienced a progression from voluntary to nonvoluntary and from passive to active killing. Modern eugenics has included both positive and negative selective activities. The 70th anniversary of the Doctors' Trial at Nuremberg provides an important opportunity to reflect on the implications of the Nazi eugenics and "euthanasia" programs for contemporary health law, bioethics, and human rights. In this article, we will examine the role that health practitioners played in the promotion and implementation of State-sponsored eugenics and "euthanasia" in Nazi Germany, followed by an exploration of contemporary parallels...
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ObjectivesThis paper seeks to explore the potential value of qigong and t'ai chi practice as a therapeutic intervention to aid in the treatment of survivors of torture and refugee trauma.DesignThe common effects of torture and refugee... more
ObjectivesThis paper seeks to explore the potential value of qigong and t'ai chi practice as a therapeutic intervention to aid in the treatment of survivors of torture and refugee trauma.DesignThe common effects of torture and refugee trauma are surveyed with a focus on post-traumatic stress disorder. An alternative theoretical framework for conceptualizing and healing trauma is presented. Evidence is reviewed from the scientific literature that describes how qigong and t'ai chi have been used in studies of the general population to alleviate symptoms that are also expressed in torture survivors. Observations are presented from a combined, simplified qigong and t'ai chi intervention with a convenience sample of four refugee survivors of torture.ResultsPreliminary observations from four cases and a review of the literature support the potential efficacy of incorporating qigong and t'ai chi into the treatment of survivors of torture and refugee trauma.ConclusionsThe incorporation of qigong and t'ai chi into the treatment of torture survivors, within a new framework for healing trauma, merits further investigation.
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Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Lebanon, Quality of life, Medicine, Refugees, and 15 morePost traumatic stress disorder, Activities of Daily Living, Congo, Self Efficacy, Humans, Survivors, Female, Male, The, Middle Aged, Adult, Theoretical Framework, General Population, Severity of Illness Index, and Breathing exercises
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International Law, European Union, Medicine, Comorbidity, Refugees, and 15 moreHumans, Human right, Country of Origin, Expert Opinion, Brain injury, Clinical Sciences, Health Problems, General practitioner, Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, Risk Factors, Nervous System, Asylum seeker, Loss of Consciousness, Neurosciences, and Nervous System Diseases
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The use of Eduard Pernkopf's anatomic atlas presents ethical challenges for modern surgery concerning the use of data resulting from abusive scientific work. In the 1980s and 1990s, historic investigations revealed that Pernkopf was... more
The use of Eduard Pernkopf's anatomic atlas presents ethical challenges for modern surgery concerning the use of data resulting from abusive scientific work. In the 1980s and 1990s, historic investigations revealed that Pernkopf was an active National Socialist (Nazi) functionary at the University of Vienna and that among the bodies depicted in the atlas were those of Nazi victims. Since then, discussions persist concerning the ethicality of the continued use of the atlas, because some surgeons still rely on information from this anatomic resource for procedural planning. The ethical implications relevant to the use of this atlas in the care of surgical patients have not been discussed in detail. Based on a recapitulation of the main arguments from the historic controversy surrounding the use of Pernkopf's atlas, this study presents an actual patient case to illustrate some of the ethical considerations relevant to the decision of whether to use the atlas in surgery. This in...
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Transcervical sterilization is a non-surgical method of permanent female sterilization that is widely used and critically discussed. A review of the historiography of the method reveals that instances of its coercive use are not included... more
Transcervical sterilization is a non-surgical method of permanent female sterilization that is widely used and critically discussed. A review of the historiography of the method reveals that instances of its coercive use are not included in the historical account. This study offers a reexamination of the work of Carl Clauberg and Hans-Joachim Lindemann, to more deeply contextualize within the framework of current usage the coercive use of transcervical sterilization during the Third Reich and in postwar Germany. This inquiry is based on postwar criminal trial records on Clauberg, and on archival documents detailing Lindemann's activities in 1979. A comparative analysis examines arguments by medical historian Karl-Heinz Roth, and identifies shared characteristics and differences between Clauberg and Lindemann, their methods and scientific connections. The results demonstrate that the technique of transcervical sterilization has an abusive potential that may be explained as a function of the person of the physician, of the scientific method itself, and of societal and political influences. The analysis supports the argument that insights from the cases of Clauberg and Lindemann are transferrable geographically and over time, and have the potential to inform current medical practice, such as transcervical sterilization with the Essure device, whose historiographic exploration remains a desideratum.
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Book Review Military Medical Ethics (Textbooks of Military Medicine.) Edited by Thomas E. Beam and Linette R. Sparacino. 868 pp., plus index, in two volumes, illustrated. Washington, D.C., Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, and Borden Institute, 2003. $108 (domestic); $151 (fo...more
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ABSTRACT
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Genetics, Cognitive Science, Informed Consent, Risk assessment, Humans, and 15 moreGenetic Testing, Human Genome Project, Confidentiality, Genes, Clinical Sciences, Human Genome, Physical Map, Prenatal Diagnosis, Cost Control, Risk Assessment, Human Disease, Neurosciences, Nervous System Diseases, Choice Behavior, and Genetic factors
The attitudes of Massachusetts pediatricians concerning life-saving therapies for newborns were surveyed. The sample was drawn from the membership list of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Of the sample... more
The attitudes of Massachusetts pediatricians concerning life-saving therapies for newborns were surveyed. The sample was drawn from the membership list of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Of the sample population of 801 physicians, 449 (56%) responded. Three hypothetical cases were presented with treatment options: (1) An infant with Down syndrome and duodenal atresia, (2) an infant with meningomyelocele and microcephaly and, (3) an extremely low birth weight infant of 700 g and 28 weeks' gestation suffering from birth asphyxia. For case 1, 73% of the physicians recommended surgical correction of the duodenal atresia. Of these, 68% would seek a court order if the parents did not consent to surgery. For case 2, 53% of the physicians recommended surgical repair of the meningomyelocele. For case 3, 90% of the physicians recommended continued resuscitation of the infant and referral to an intensive care unit. Religious affiliation and age were factors influencing these clinical recommendations, with Catholic and younger physicians tending to opt for more aggressive medical intervention. The great majority of physicians (93%) indicated that the economic situation of the family should not affect a decision regarding life-saving therapy. A majority (62%) of the physicians approved of infant care review committees with a primary advisory role. Comparison with earlier attitudinal surveys suggests that pediatricians today are more willing to intervene medically on behalf of infant patients than previously.
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Pediatrics, Medical Ethics, Down Syndrome, Humans, Federal Government, and 13 moreFemale, Resuscitation, Male, Physicians, Massachusetts, Newborn Infant, Questionnaires, Patient Advocacy, Government Regulation, parental consent, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Patient selection, and Medical and Health Sciences
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... Lobsang Rapgay, and Dr David Henderson for their guidance and valuable insights during the BCRHHR's investigative process, to Dr Gerald Koocher, Dr Lynn Piwowarczyk, Dr Sameer Sheth and ... Berthold, SM, Wong, EC, Schell, TL,... more
... Lobsang Rapgay, and Dr David Henderson for their guidance and valuable insights during the BCRHHR's investigative process, to Dr Gerald Koocher, Dr Lynn Piwowarczyk, Dr Sameer Sheth and ... Berthold, SM, Wong, EC, Schell, TL, Marshall, GN, Elliott, MN, Takeuchi, D., et al ...
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The article traces the sources of Jewish Law from Torah to contemporary authorities, and then explores the methodology of analysis that is followed in decision making. The primary obligation to seek preventive and curative measures for... more
The article traces the sources of Jewish Law from Torah to contemporary authorities, and then explores the methodology of analysis that is followed in decision making. The primary obligation to seek preventive and curative measures for the protection of human life is noted and the mitzvah to maintain the body and soul in good health is explored. Basic principles of
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The Authors describe the background that led them to devise a course in religin and public health policy. Article includes a course description and outline, brief review of readings and materials, course requirements, and a short... more
The Authors describe the background that led them to devise a course in religin and public health policy. Article includes a course description and outline, brief review of readings and materials, course requirements, and a short discussion of the first year's results.
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Limited research exits on utilization and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture among underserved communities, and virtually no evidence has been published with respect to refugee populations. In this study, we examined the relationship... more
Limited research exits on utilization and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture among underserved communities, and virtually no evidence has been published with respect to refugee populations. In this study, we examined the relationship between acupuncture and the total utilization of primary care services in a cohort of refugee patients with chronic pain. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 16 refugee patients with chronic pain at Boston Medical Center (BMC). The research was IRB-approved. Demographics and total charges associated with primary care over 18 months were collected. Total charges associated with primary care services decreased by 50.2% in our refugee cohort in the 12 months following acupuncture treatment, equivalent to a savings of $691 per patient per month. This preliminary review demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in total charges associated with primary care following acupuncture treatment (p=0.0308). This study suggests the need for furt...
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Philosophy, Applied Ethics, Publishing, Human Rights, Professional Ethics, and 15 moreMedical Ethics, International Cooperation, Research, National Socialism, Germany, Humans, Biomedical Research, Political Systems, Physicians, Human Experimentation, Editorial Policies, Codes of Ethics, Internationality, Scientific Misconduct, and Records as Topic
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Law, Ethics, Forecasting, Medical Ethics, World War II, and 14 moreResearch, Social Responsibility, Humans, Biomedical Research, Federal Government, Ethical relativism, Complementary Therapies, United States, Genetic research, Vulnerable Populations, Persons, Ethics Research, Government Regulation, and Tissue and organ procurement
The clinical and laboratory findings in and the treatment of congestive heart failure, supraventricular tachycardia, pericardial disease, and hypoxemic spells are discussed.
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Abstract More children are being recognized as victims of sexual abuse than in the past. Because pediatricians are often the first professionals to see the victim, they are often also the first to assess and to evaluate the child.... more
Abstract More children are being recognized as victims of sexual abuse than in the past. Because pediatricians are often the first professionals to see the victim, they are often also the first to assess and to evaluate the child. Increased diagnoses of child sexual abuse ...
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Research Ethics, Informed Consent, Medical Ethics, Resource Allocation, Public Health, and 15 moreHealth Policy, Research, Homosexuality, Humans, Infectious Disease, Research Ethics Committees, United States, Confidentiality, Human immunodeficiency virus, Ethical Issues, Patient Advocacy, Vulnerable Population, Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Patient selection, and quality assurance in health care
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The article traces the sources of Jewish Law from Torah to contemporary authorities, and then explores the methodology of analysis that is followed in decision making. The primary obligation to seek preventive and curative measures for... more
The article traces the sources of Jewish Law from Torah to contemporary authorities, and then explores the methodology of analysis that is followed in decision making. The primary obligation to seek preventive and curative measures for the protection of human life is noted and the mitzvah to maintain the body and soul in good health is explored. Basic principles of