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Review
. 2024 Feb 2;3(3):100845.
doi: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.100845. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Proposal and Rationale for a Cardioethics Curriculum

Sarah C Hull  1   2 , J Brendan Mullen  3 , James N Kirkpatrick  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Proposal and Rationale for a Cardioethics Curriculum

Sarah C Hull et al. JACC Adv. .

Abstract

The modern practice of cardiovascular medicine involves many ethical controversies in the care of our complex patients. Accordingly, we propose a framework for a practical, clinically based "cardioethics" curriculum that might be incorporated into fellowship training to prepare cardiologists to cope with increasingly complex ethical dilemmas. This work can also be adopted into continuing medical education for cardiologists and other cardiovascular practitioners given the critical importance of collaborative care in cardiology. We discuss heart transplant allocation, futility concerns, withdrawing care, advance care planning, conflicts of interests, and distributive justice. Sound ethical decision-making in cardiology requires a combination of extensive technical knowledge, nuanced appreciation of individual patient goals and values, and thoughtful application of ethical principles and reasoning. Cardiologists have an exceptionally broad toolkit of medications and interventions to address high-stakes disease states. We should maintain a similarly broad ethical toolkit to provide the best care for our patients.

Keywords: cardioethics; education; ethics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Figures

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Graphical abstract
Central Illustration
Central Illustration
Proposed Cardioethics Curriculum Framework
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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