Medscape Ethics Center News

• APA 2022 A Psychiatric Patient Confesses to Murder: Now What? A Philadelphia case report offers lessons in handling an unusual dilemma where, an expert notes, law and medical ethics didn't present a clear-cut solution.
  Medscape Medical News, May 23, 2022
• Failed to Register Your Trial? Don't Use a Another Study's Number The registration number provided by the author for the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-17014122) seems to correspond to a different trial than the one described in the article.
  Retraction Watch, May 20, 2022
• Accused of Scientific Misconduct — And That Was Just the Beginning The Sept. 10, 2019 PBS article accompanying the Frontline documentary "Deadly Water" was topped by a provocative headline: "The EPA Says Flint's Water is Safe — Scientists Aren't So Sure."
  Retraction Watch, May 19, 2022
• Cardiologist Faces US Federal Charges for Hacking, Ransomware Moises Luis Zagala Gonzalez, MD, allegedly created and distributed ransomware, shared in profits from ransomware attacks, and boasted about successful attacks by Iranian state-sponsored hackers.
  Medscape Medical News, May 18, 2022
• Doctor Accused of 'Fraudulent Concealment' Can't Be Held Liable Claim against hospital is halted as well.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, May 18, 2022
• Heart Hospital Pays $1.1 Million in False Claims Settlement The DOJ launched an investigation after Oklahoma Heart Hospital South self-disclosed Medicare billing irregularities related to intensive cardiac rehabilitation services provided to beneficiaries.
  Medscape Medical News, May 17, 2022
• Canada Supreme Court Rules Extreme Intoxication Can Be Violent Crime Defense The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday ruled that defendants accused of violent crimes such as homicide and sexual assault can use self-induced extreme intoxication as a defense, striking down a federal law supported by women's advocacy groups.
  Reuters Health Information, May 13, 2022
• Tuskegee Syphilis Study Could Happen Again, Physician Warns Fifty years after initial news reports that 400 men participated unwittingly in the Tuskegee syphilis study, a doctor urges scientists to always be on guard for research missteps that could harm patients and to always speak up.
  Reuters Health Information, May 12, 2022
• Colombia Court Approves Medically Assisted Suicide Colombia's constitutional court backed medically assisted suicide in a decision late on Wednesday, which advocates said makes it the first Latin American country to back death by suicide for those suffering serious or incurable illnesses.
  Reuters Health Information, May 12, 2022
• Google, Meta Must Find and Remove Online Child Pornography Under EU Draft Rules Google, Meta and other online service providers will be required to find and remove online child pornography under proposed European Commission rules, a move some privacy groups say could put people's communications at risk.
  Reuters Health Information, May 11, 2022
• The Tiniest Babies: Shifting the Boundary of Life Earlier Growing numbers of extremely premature infants are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving.
  Associated Press, May 12, 2022
• Cardiologist Hit With Additional Sexual Assault Charges been charged with four additional counts as more victims have come forward, police confirm.
  Medscape Medical News, May 11, 2022
• 'Goodie Bag' Pill Mill Doctor Sentenced to Two Decades in Prison Regardless of the patients' complaints, internist gave them tote bags with prescription drugs, including muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and controlled substances, according to federal officials.
  Medscape Medical News, May 11, 2022
• ASLMS 2022 Tattoo Removal Restores Dignity to Sex Trafficking Survivors The findings support a proposed ASLMS campaign that intends to connect sex trafficking survivors with board-certified physicians for pro bono removal of branding tattoos.
  Medscape Medical News, May 06, 2022
• Multi-State Opioid Crackdown Nets Indictment Against 7 Physicians Individuals across six states were charged with the illegal distribution of more than 115 million opioid pills, according to officials.
  Medscape Medical News, May 05, 2022
• Higher 'Chemical Restraint' Rates in Black Psych Patients in the ED Black patients presenting with psychiatric complaints to hospital emergency departments across the US are 63% more likely to receive chemical sedation than their White counterparts.
  Medscape Medical News, May 02, 2022
• 19, Including Physician, Charged in NBA Health Fraud Case Federal officials allege healthcare professionals provided former basketball players with false invoices to submit for reimbursement.
  Medscape Medical News, April 28, 2022
• New York Cardiologist Indicted in COVID Testing Scheme A cardiologist on Long Island allegedly defrauded the government of more than $1.3 million in connection with COVID-19 testing, the DOJ charges in an indictment.
  Medscape Medical News, April 28, 2022
• 30 Years of Fake Nursing Ends With 7-Year Prison Sentence After three decades of pretending to be a nurse in Canada and the US, a woman with a lengthy criminal record was sentenced to 7 years prison.
  Medscape Medical News, April 27, 2022
• Congress Probe: US Military Landlord Put Families at Risk Even After Fraud Plea Balfour Beatty Communities continues placing the health of service members and their families at risk even after pleading guilty last year to defrauding the US government, a Senate investigation being released Tuesday found.
  Reuters Health Information, April 26, 2022