David G Lott,Marka Ellertson,Danielle N Grandjean,Stephanie R Zacharias,Marshall Strome,Annika T Beck,Chad M Teven,Richard R Sharp
{"title":"Defending the Ethical Permissibility of Laryngeal Transplantation.","authors":"David G Lott,Marka Ellertson,Danielle N Grandjean,Stephanie R Zacharias,Marshall Strome,Annika T Beck,Chad M Teven,Richard R Sharp","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2691944","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2691944","url":null,"abstract":"Transplantation of the larynx is a rare and controversial procedure. Unlike solid organ transplantation, in which the primary goal is preservation of life, laryngeal transplantation aims to improve a patient's quality-of-life by restoring function. Several successful laryngeal transplants have been reported in the scientific literature: restoring patient speech, improving swallowing and breathing, and providing substantial quality-of-life improvements. Nonetheless, laryngeal transplantation poses both scientific and ethical challenges. The novelty of the procedure, uncertainty about appropriate clinical indications, need for highly nuanced clinical evaluation and patient selection, and paucity of alternative treatment options add to the moral complexity of offering LT. In this paper, we argue that laryngeal transplantation is ethically supportable in a limited set of circumstances, specifically in situations where patients are struggling with severe compromises to their quality of life or experiencing functional impairments that threaten their sense of self.","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"145 1","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148349003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stephanie R Morain,Matthew W Semler,Jonathan D Casey
{"title":"A Framework of Institutional Obligations for Pragmatic Clinical Trials.","authors":"Stephanie R Morain,Matthew W Semler,Jonathan D Casey","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2691940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2691940","url":null,"abstract":"Pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) embed research into clinical care. This deliberate research-care integration means that healthcare institutions are key partners for PCTs. Prior literature has identified several ethical challenges in PCTs for which institutional involvement is a necessary condition for their resolution. However, no comprehensive account exists to describe the moral obligations of healthcare institutions for PCTs. To that end, we propose a framework of ten obligations for institutions when leading or participating in PCTs. These obligations span the lifecycle of research, beginning with decisions about whether to implement a given study within a particular institution through to decisions about (de)implementation following study completion. For each obligation, we describe both the relevant moral considerations and the corresponding practical implications. While we offer several practical suggestions that can inform current research activities, future work will be needed to further specify these obligations to provide more granular guidance for decision-making.","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"25 1","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148348999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Should Adherence to Medical Recommendations Be a Requirement for Kidney Transplant Candidacy?","authors":"Catherine R Butler,Aaron G Wightman","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2691943","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2691943","url":null,"abstract":"To be considered a candidate for transplant, patients with advanced kidney disease must demonstrate their ability to adhere to medical recommendations. An adherence criterion is intended to ensure effective use of deceased donor kidneys by selecting candidates who are able to engage in complicated post-transplant clinical care. However, evidence that pre-transplant assessment of adherence predicts meaningful post-transplant outcomes is equivocal. Further, this criterion risks exacerbating existing inequities in access to transplant and rigid definitions of what constitutes adherent behavior may impede opportunities to tailor treatment plans to individual preferences and circumstances. It is also unclear that an adherence criterion supports ethical standards for a fair process of resource allocation including transparency, relevance to affected groups, regulation, and opportunity for revision. We offer several strategies to revise the current approach to evaluating transplant candidates for adherence to better align with ethical principles guiding allocation of a scarce societal resource.","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"22 1","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148349001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nancy S Jecker,Vardit Ravitsky,Ruth R Faden,Walter Jaoko,Jonathan D Moreno,Michael Parker,Kevin Behrens
{"title":"How \"America First\" Abandoned Global Health: The Case for an African Model.","authors":"Nancy S Jecker,Vardit Ravitsky,Ruth R Faden,Walter Jaoko,Jonathan D Moreno,Michael Parker,Kevin Behrens","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2692312","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2692312","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"34 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148335856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Amid Changing Federal Guidance.","authors":"Armand H Matheny Antommaria,Duncan Keegan","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2678947","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2678947","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"31 1","pages":"103-105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148298899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Futile or Fruitful? Institutional Conscience and Values Pluralism in Pediatric Care.","authors":"Meaghann S Weaver,Jennifer K Walter","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2675914","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2675914","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"21 1","pages":"80-82"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148298888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When Task Shifting Becomes Responsibility Laundering.","authors":"Y Tony Yang","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2675915","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2675915","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"69 1","pages":"28-30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148298890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Institutionalizing Conscience: Beyond Agency and Individuality.","authors":"Christina Lamb","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2675927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2675927","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"339 1","pages":"74-76"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148298894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Potentially Life-Saving Law Should Not be Trumped by Individual or Corporate Conscience.","authors":"Charles Foster","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2675924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2675924","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"32 1","pages":"86-88"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148298896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Institutional Refusal: The Costs to Patients.","authors":"Wayne Sumner","doi":"10.1080/15265161.2026.2675920","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2675920","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501008,"journal":{"name":"The American Journal of Bioethics","volume":"21 1","pages":"72-74"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148298903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}