Bioethics Glossary

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Bioethics Glossary February 20, 2004 TERM SN NOTES ABORTED FETUSES (1974; MeSH map = Fetus) ABORTION ON DEMAND Readily available legalized abortion, including abortion for

personal or social reasons (1974; MeSH map = Abortion, legal)

ABORTION, INDUCED The purposeful induced termination of a human pregnancy (1974; MeSH map = same) ACCOUNTABILITY Responsibility for explaining or justifying one's conduct to

the public or to one's superiors (1990; MeSH map = Social responsibility)

ACTIVE EUTHANASIA The act or practice of painlessly killing, for reasons of mercy, patients who are suffering or are afflicted with incurable diseases or conditions

(1974; MeSH map = Euthanasia)

ADMINISTRATORS (1978; MeSH map = Administrative personnel) ADOLESCENTS Age designation for humans 13-18 years old (1974; MeSH map = Adolescence) ADOPTION (1974; MeSH map = same) ADULTS Age designation for humans 19-64 years old (1974; MeSH map = Adult) ADVANCE CARE PLANNING Discussions with patients and/or their representatives about

the goals and direction of their health care, usually concerning end-of-life care

(1998)

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES Declarations by patients, made in advance of a situation in which they may be incompetent or unable to decide about their own care, stating their treatment preferences or authorizing a third party to make decisions for them

(1986; MeSH map = same)

ADVERTISING (1982; MeSH map = same) ADVISORY COMMITTEES Committees or commissions set up to advise governmental

bodies on public policy (1981; was ETHICS COMMITTEES or REVIEW COMMITTEES, 1974-80; MeSH map = Public policy)

AGE FACTORS Used when age is discussed as an issue in health care or biomedical research

(1974; retrospective change from Age in 1997; MeSH map = same)

AGED Age designation for humans 65 years or older (1974; MeSH map = same) AGGRESSION Feelings of hostility or overt hostile action which harms, or is

intended to harm, a person or object (1974; MeSH map = same)

AIDS (1983; MeSH map = Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) AIDS SERODIAGNOSIS Immunologic tests for the identification of HIV antibodies;

includes assays for HIV seropositivity and seronegativity which have been developed for detecting persons carrying the viral antibody


ALCOHOL ABUSE The overuse of alcohol to the extent of habituation, dependence, or addiction

(1976; MeSH map = Alcoholism)

ALIENS (1987; MeSH map = Emigration and immigration)

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TERM SN NOTES ALLIED HEALTH PERSONNEL Health care workers specially trained and licensed to assist

and support the work of health professionals (1995; was HEALTH PERSONNEL, 1974-1994; MeSH map = same)

ALLOWING TO DIE The withdrawal or withholding of life-prolonging treatment (1974; MeSH map = Euthanasia, passive) ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES Unorthodox therapeutic systems and therapies (1986; MeSH map = Alternative medicine) ALTERNATIVES (1975) ALTRUISM Regard for and devotion to the interests of others, even to

the sacrifice of personal interests (1974; MeSH map = same)

AMERICAN INDIANS (1989; MeSH map = Indians, North American) AMNIOCENTESIS A procedure involving the withdrawal of fluid from the

amniotic sac surrounding a fetus in utero; used in prenatal diagnosis to detect certain types of abnormalities or to determine fetal sex


AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

A disease marked by progressive degeneration of the neurons giving rise to the corticospinal tract and of the motor cells of the brain stem and spinal cord, and resulting in a deficit of upper and lower motor neurons; it is usually fatal within two or three years


ANCIENT HISTORY History to the fall of the western Roman Empire in 476 (1976; MeSH map = History of medicine, ancient) ANENCEPHALY Congenital absence of all or a major part of the brain (1988; MeSH map = same) ANESTHESIA (1985; MeSH map = same) ANIMAL CARE COMMITTEES Institutional committees established to protect the welfare of

animals used in research (1986; MeSH map = Animal welfare)

ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION (1978; MeSH map = Animal welfare) ANIMAL ORGANS (1984; MeSH map = Animal) ANIMAL RIGHTS The entitlement of animals to protection from cruelty and

abuse, or to not be used solely for the benefit of humans (1992; MeSH map = same)

ANIMAL TESTING ALTERNATIVES Procedures, such as tissue culture and mathematical models, that are used or advocated for use in place of the use of animals in research or diagnostic laboratories


ANONYMOUS TESTING Epidemiologic testing in which the source of the specimen or the person being tested is not individually identified; often used in testing for the prevalence of a disease

(1991; MeSH map = Confidentiality)

ANTHROPOLOGY The science concerned with the origin, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural characteristics of human beings; generally used for the comparative study of human culture


ARTIFICIAL FEEDING Feeding other than by mouth (1975; MeSH map = Nutritional support) ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION Artificial introduction of semen into the vagina for the

purpose of inducing conception (1974; MeSH map = Insemination, artificial)

ARTIFICIAL ORGANS (1974; MeSH map = same) ASIAN AMERICANS Persons living in the United States having origins in any of (1998; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, or the Indian subcontinent

ASSISTED SUICIDE Provision of information and/or the means to enable a patient to take his or her own life

(1992; was SUICIDE, 1974-1991; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many pre-1992 SUICIDE records; MeSH map = Suicide, assisted)

ATTITUDES (1974; MeSH map = Attitude) ATTITUDES TO DEATH Personal or cultural responses to death and dying (1974; MeSH map = Attitude to death) AUDIOVISUAL AIDS (1976; MeSH map = same) AUTHORSHIP The source (as the author) of an idea or a piece of writing (1999; MeSH map = same) AUTOEXPERIMENTATION Intentionally using oneself as a research subject (1998) AUTONOMY The freedom of an individual or group to make decisions and

to choose a pattern of life (1974; MeSH map = Freedom)

AUTOPSIES (1974; MeSH map = Autopsy) BEGINNING OF LIFE The time at which human individuality or personhood is

considered to begin (1974)

BEHAVIOR CONTROL Manipulation of the actions of a person or group by biomedical, psychological, or social means

(1974; MeSH map = Behavior)

BEHAVIOR DISORDERS (1974; MeSH map = Mental disorders) BEHAVIORAL GENETICS The study of the effects of heredity on human behavior (1974; MeSH map = Genetics, behavioral) BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH (1974; MeSH map = Research) BENEFICENCE In ethical theory, the production of benefit or good for others (1974; MeSH map = Altruism) BIOETHICAL ISSUES Generic designation for the content of materials that discuss

a series of bioethical topics (1974; MeSH map = Bioethics)

BIOETHICS A branch of applied ethics that studies the value implications of practices and developments in the life sciences and medicine


BIOLOGICAL WARFARE (1974; MeSH map = same) BIOLOGY (1974; MeSH map = same) BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH (1974; MeSH map = Research) BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES (1974) BLACKS (1974; MeSH map = same) BLOOD BANKS Centers for collecting, characterizing, and storing human

blood (1998; MeSH map = same)

BLOOD DONATION (1974; MeSH map = Blood donors) BLOOD SPECIMEN COLLECTION (1975; MeSH map = same) BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS (1974; MeSH map = Blood transfusion) BODY PARTS AND FLUIDS (1978) BONE MARROW (1976; MeSH map = same) BRAIN (1975; MeSH map = same) BRAIN DEATH Death as determined by irreversible destruction of the brain

tissue, generally manifested by total cessation of brain (1974; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES function; sometimes equated with cerebral or neocortical death

BRAIN PATHOLOGY Acute or chronic brain damage or dysfunction (1974; MeSH map = Brain injuries) BREAST CANCER (1995; was CANCER and FEMALES, 1974-1994; MeSH

map = Breast neoplasms) BUDDHIST ETHICS (1993; MeSH map = Buddhism) BURNS (1974; MeSH map = same) CADAVERS (1974; MeSH map = Cadaver) CANCER (1974; MeSH map = Neoplasms) CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (1975; MeSH map = same) CAPITALISM (1978; MeSH map = Political systems) CARDIAC DEATH Death as determined by irreversible cessation of

cardiopulmonary function (1996; MeSH map =Death)

CARING Demonstrating an awareness of and a concern for the good of others; responding with empathy and compassion to the needs of patients

(1992; MeSH map = Empathy)

CARRIERS Individuals possessing a specified gene who are capable of transmitting it to offspring but not of showing its typical expression

(1974; MeSH map = Heterozygote)

CASE STUDIES (1974; MeSH map = Case report) CASUISTRY A method of ethical analysis that emphasizes practical

problem-solving through examining individual cases that are considered to be representative

(1991; MeSH map = Ethics)

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES


CESAREAN SECTION Extraction of the fetus by means of surgical incision of the abdomen and uterus


CHILD ABUSE (1983; MeSH map = same) CHILDBIRTH (1979; MeSH map = Labor) CHILDREN Age designation for humans 2-12 years old (1974; MeSH map = Child) CHORIONIC VILLI SAMPLING An obstetric technique that permits the early diagnosis of

genetic disease in the fetus by genetic tests, karyotyping, or biochemical assay


CHRISTIAN ETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Christianity) CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS (1984; MeSH map = Christian Science) CHROMOSOME ABNORMALITIES (1974; MeSH map = same) CHRONICALLY ILL (1974; MeSH map = Chronic disease) CIRCUMCISION Removal of the prepuce of a male, or of the clitoris, prepuce,

or labia of a female (1998; MeSH map = same)

CLERGY (1976; MeSH map = same) CLINICAL ETHICS The identification, analysis, and resolution of moral problems (1992; MeSH map = Ethics, medical)

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TERM SN NOTES that arise in the care of individual patients

CLINICAL ETHICS COMMITTEES Institutional committees established to protect the welfare of patients

(1974; MeSH map = Ethics committees)

CLONING Asexual single-parent reproduction, in which offspring have the same genetic blueprint as the parent

(1974; MeSH map = Cloning, molecular)

CODES OF ETHICS Systems of principles or rules of ethical professional conduct, usually established by professional societies

(1974; MeSH map = Ethics, professional)

COERCION RT Force feeding (1974; MeSH map = same) COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP (1996; MeSH map = Organization and administration) COMMODIFICATION The social process by which something or someone comes

to be regarded and treated as an article of trade or commerce

(1999)

COMMON GOOD (1975; MeSH map = Social welfare) COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (1975; MeSH map = same) COMMUNICATION The exchange or transmission of ideas between individuals

or groups (1974; MeSH map = same)

COMMUNISM (1974; MeSH map = same) COMMUNITARIANISM A movement in social thought that emphasizes the

responsibilities of the individual within the larger community (1996; was COMMON GOOD, 1975-1995; MeSH map = Social welfare)

COMMUNITY SERVICES Health care and related support services which are based in the local community

(1976; MeSH map = Social welfare)

COMPARATIVE STUDIES Indicates that the document compares the attitudes, laws, policies, practices, etc. of different groups or places

(1995; MeSH map = Comparative study)

COMPASSION The emotion associated with sharing the suffering of another together with the desire to give aid

(1994; MeSH map = Empathy)

COMPENSATION Payment, or other restitution, for injury (1974; MeSH map = Economics) COMPETENCE Mental capacity to make responsible choices (1974; MeSH map = Mental competency) COMPREHENSION Understanding by a patient or research subject of

information disclosed orally or in writing (1978; MeSH map = Cognition)

COMPUTER COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

Computer-based systems for transmitting and/or receiving information


COMPUTERS (1989; was DATA BANKS; MeSH map = same) CONFIDENTIALITY The privacy of information and its protection against

unauthorized disclosure (1974; MeSH map = same)

CONFLICT OF INTEREST (1978; MeSH map = same) CONGENITAL DISORDERS Disorders which are present at birth, regardless of their

causation (1974; MeSH map = Neonatal diseases and abnormalities)

CONSCIENCE (1974; MeSH map = same) CONSENSUS General agreement or collective opinion; the judgment

arrived at by most of those concerned. Consensus may signify a continuum of agreement that ranges from the

(1992; MeSH map = Decision making)

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TERM SN NOTES explicit and active, such as taking a vote, to the implicit and passive, such as the silence that indicates acquiescence

CONSENT FORMS (1978; MeSH map = Informed consent) CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS (1974; MeSH map = Legislation) CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (1974; MeSH map = Jurisprudence) CONTACT TRACING A public health practice of identifying persons who have

been exposed to a communicable disease through person-to-person contact; includes, for example, identification of the sexual partners of persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

(1989; was CONFIDENTIALITY, 1974-88; MeSH map = same)

CONTAINMENT The use of biological or physical means to minimize or prevent the dissemination of biologically active agents which may be hazardous

(1977; MeSH map = Containment of biohazards)

CONTINUING EDUCATION Educational programs that do not lead to any formal advanced standing

(1998; map = Education, continuing)

CONTRACEPTION (1974; MeSH map = same) CONTRACTS (1976) CONTROL GROUPS Groups that serve as a check or standard of comparison in

experimental studies (1974; MeSH map = Research design)

CORD BLOOD Blood contained in the umbilical cord at the time of delivery (2000; MeSH map = Fetal blood) COSMETIC SURGERY Plastic surgery for improving the outward appearance of

parts of the body (1990; MeSH map = Surgery, plastic)

COSTS AND BENEFITS (1974; MeSH map = Cost-benefit analysis) COUNSELING (1974; MeSH map = same) COVENANT A binding, enduring relationship characterized by mutual

fidelity and trust (1994)

CRIMINAL LAW (1974; MeSH map = same) CRITICALLY ILL (1977; MeSH map = Critical illness) CRYOPRESERVATION Preservation of cells, tissues, organs, or embryos by

freezing (1980; MeSH map = same)

CULTURAL PLURALISM The presence of multiple value systems within or among societies

(1974; MeSH map = Social values)

CURRICULUM (1974; MeSH map = same) CYSTIC FIBROSIS (1981; MeSH map = same) DANGEROUSNESS In law, the state of being likely to cause harm to oneself or to

others (1975; MeSH map = Dangerous behavior)

DATA BANKS Collections of medical, genetic, or other records (1974; MeSH map = Databases, factual) DEATH The concept of death; or, the process of dying (1974; MeSH map = same) DECEPTION Written or oral communication to others of what one knows

to be untrue or contrary to fact (1974; MeSH map = same)

DECISION ANALYSIS A strategy for decision making in which management (1989; was DECISION MAKING, 1974-88; MeSH map =

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TERM SN NOTES alternatives are made explicit, e.g., by use of decision trees or mathematical or statistical procedures as aids

Decision support techniques)

DECISION MAKING (1974; MeSH map = same) DEHUMANIZATION (1974) DEINSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS Persons who have been released from mental institutions (1975; MeSH map = Deinstitutionalization) DEMENTIA (1984; MeSH map = same) DEMOCRACY (1978; MeSH map = same) DENTISTRY (1977; MeSH map = same) DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS Theories of ethics which hold that some actions are morally

obligatory regardless of their actual or anticipated consequences


DEPRESSIVE DISORDER An affective disorder manifested by either a dysphoric mood or loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities


DETERMINATION OF DEATH Use of cardiorespiratory and/or neurological criteria to establish whether death has occurred

(1974; MeSH map = Death)

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (1974; MeSH map = same) DIABETES (1978; MeSH map = Diabetes mellitus) DIAGNOSIS (1974; MeSH map = same) DIRECTED DONATION Tissue or organ donation intended for the benefit of a

designated recipient (1990; MeSH map = Tissue donors)

DIRECTIVE ADHERENCE Compliance by health personnel and/or patient surrogates with the conditions of advance directives or other declarations intended to guide health care decisions when patients are incompetent or otherwise unable to direct their own care

(2000)

DIRECTIVE COUNSELING Counseling during which a professional plays an active role in a client's or patient's decision making by offering advice, guidance, and/or recommendations


DISABLED (1974; MeSH map = Disabled persons) DISADVANTAGED Persons lacking the basic resources or conditions believed

to be necessary for an adequate standard of living (1974; MeSH map = Socioeconomic factors)

DISCLOSURE Revelation of information, such as the risks and benefits or economic implications of clinical or experimental procedures, to help patients or research subjects make informed decisions; or, revelation of confidential information

(1974; MeSH map = Truth disclosure)

DISEASE Any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any part, organ, or system (or combination thereof) of the body that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown


DISSENT (1974; MeSH map = Politics)

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TERM SN NOTES DNA DATA BANKS Collections of genetic information that are maintained for

clinical, research, or law enforcement purposes (1994; MeSH map = Databases, factual)

DNA FINGERPRINTING A genetic identification procedure in which band patterns of DNA (the DNA fingerprint) from one individual or an unknown individual are evaluated for similarities with those of a known individual


DNA SEQUENCES Base pairs arranged in linear order, whether in a stretch of DNA, a gene, a chromosome, or an entire genome

(1997; MeSH map = Base sequence)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Deliberate, often repetitive, physical abuse by one family member (including marital partners, parents, children, siblings, or other members of a household) against another


DONOR CARDS (1974; MeSH map = Tissue donors) DONORS (1974; MeSH map = Tissue donors) DOUBLE EFFECT In ethics, a technical term which refers to two types of

consequences which may be produced by a single action, namely, intended consequences and unintended side-effects

(1974)

DOWN SYNDROME (1974; MeSH map = same) DRUG ABUSE A pattern of pathological drug use (1974; MeSH map = Substance abuse) DRUG INDUSTRY (1978; MeSH map = same) DRUGS (1975; MeSH map = same) DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

(1974; MeSH map = Muscular dystrophy)

DUE PROCESS Legal procedures for the protection of individual rights in accordance with established standards of fairness and justice

(1974; MeSH map = Jurisprudence)

DURATION OF COMMITMENT (1974; MeSH map = Commitment of mentally ill) DUTY TO WARN A health professional's obligation to breach patient

confidentiality to warn third parties of the danger of their being assaulted or of contracting a serious infection

(1991; was CONFIDENTIALITY and (usually) LEGAL OBLIGATIONS, 1974-1990; MeSH map = same)

EASTERN ORTHODOX ETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Christianity) ECOLOGY (1974; MeSH map = same) ECONOMIC VALUE OF LIFE The monetary value of a life lost or a life saved (1982; MeSH map = same) ECONOMICS (1974; MeSH map = same) EDITORIAL POLICIES (1974; MeSH map = Publishing) EDUCATION (1974; MeSH map = same) ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE BRAIN

(1974; MeSH map = Electric stimulation)

ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (1974; MeSH map = same) EMBRYO DISPOSITION Selection of what is to be done with excess embryos created

by in vitro fertilization; the embryos may be cryopreserved (1997)

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TERM SN NOTES for future use by the person(s) having decision-making authority, for transfer to a third party, or for use in research, or they may be discarded

EMBRYO RESEARCH Research on the human organism from the time of fertilization to the end of the eighth week after fertilization

(1995; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many pre-1995 records; MeSH map = Research)

EMBRYO TRANSFER Transfer of a human embryo into a uterus following in vitro or in vivo fertilization


EMBRYOS Developing human organisms from the time of fertilization to the end of the eighth week after fertilization

(1982; MeSH map = Embryo)

EMERGENCY CARE (1974; MeSH map = Emergency medical services) EMOTIONS Those affective states which can be experienced and have

arousing and motivational properties (1997; MeSH map = same)

EMPATHY The capacity to identify with and understand another's situation, feelings, and motives


EMPIRICAL RESEARCH The study, based on direct observation, use of statistical records, interviews, or experimental methods, of actual practices or the actual impact of practices or policies

(1996; was EVALUATION STUDIES, 1991-1995, or STATISTICS or SURVEY, 1974-1995; MeSH map = Research)

EMPLOYMENT (1974; MeSH map = same) ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGIES Genetic, pharmacological, surgical, or other

technology-based interventions intended to augment or improve human capacities or traits

(2000)

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Investment by health professionals or researchers in a profit-making business or enterprise related to their work


EPIDEMIOLOGY The study of the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population


EPILEPSY (1974; MeSH map = same) EQUAL PROTECTION The constitutional guarantee that no person shall be denied

the same legal protection enjoyed by others in like circumstances

(1974; MeSH map = Civil rights)

ETHICAL ANALYSIS The application of ethical theory to moral problems (1974; MeSH map = Ethics) ETHICAL RELATIVISM The view that ethical principles vary, or ought to vary,

among different groups or cultures (1974; MeSH map = Ethics)

ETHICAL REVIEW Review of patient care or research proposals for conformity with ethical guidelines


ETHICAL THEORY (1974; MeSH map = Ethics) ETHICISTS (1974; MeSH map = Ethics) ETHICIST'S ROLE (1996; MeSH map = Ethics) ETHICS The field of study dealing with the principles of morality (1974; MeSH map = same) ETHICS COMMITTEES Committees established by groups such as professional

organizations to consider ethical issues (1974; MeSH map = same)

ETHICS CONSULTATION Services provided by a consultant, team, or committee to (1998)

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TERM SN NOTES address the ethical issues involved in a specific clinical case; the central purpose is to improve the process and outcomes of patients' care by helping to identify, analyze, and resolve ethical problems

EUGENICS The science which studies ways to improve the hereditary characteristics of the human race, especially by means of selective reproduction


EUTHANASIA An umbrella term for active, involuntary, and voluntary euthanasia; for passive euthanasia, use ALLOWING TO DIE


EVALUATION (1974; MeSH map = Evaluation studies) EVALUATION STUDIES Used as a tag to indicate that the document describes a

study that uses the methods of the social sciences or statistics to analyze either the impact or effectiveness of practice or policy decisions, or the values used in making such decisions

(1991; was EVALUATION or STATISTICS or SURVEY, 1974-1990; MeSH map = same)

EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE Medical practice that employs well-validated, contemporaneous research results as the basis for clinical decisions


EVOLUTION (1974; MeSH map = same) EXPERT TESTIMONY The presentation of pertinent information by a qualified

specialist before a court or governmental body (1975; MeSH map = same)

EXTRAORDINARY TREATMENT Therapeutic measures which cannot be obtained without excessive expense, pain, or other burden, or which, if used, would not offer a reasonable hope of benefit

(1974; MeSH map = Life support care)

EYE DISEASES (1978; MeSH map = same) FACULTY The teaching staff of an educational institution; also other

staff members having academic rank (1997; MeSH map = same)

FAMILY MEMBERS (1974; MeSH map = Family) FAMILY PLANNING Programs or services designed to help people avoid

unwanted births or control the interval between pregnancies (1974; MeSH map = same)

FAMILY PRACTICE The branch of medicine concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive health care for the entire family


FAMILY RELATIONSHIP (1974; MeSH map = Family relations) FAMOUS PERSONS (1978; MeSH map = same) FATHERS (1974; MeSH map = same) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (1974; MeSH map = Government) FEMALES (1974; MeSH map = Women) FEMINIST ETHICS A field of study designed to analyze and modify the

treatment of gender issues as formulated and applied by traditional ethical theories

(1995; was WOMEN'S RIGHTS, 1974-1994; MeSH map = Feminism)

FETAL DEVELOPMENT (1974; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES FETAL RESEARCH Research on the human conceptus after the eighth week

from the time of fertilization, or research using organs or tissues from such a conceptus

(1995; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many pre-1995 records; MeSH map = Research)

FETAL THERAPY (1984; was FETUSES and PATIENT CARE or FETUSES and SURGERY, 1976-1983; MeSH map = Fetal diseases)

FETAL TISSUE DONATION (1979; MeSH map = Fetal tissue transplantation) FETUSES Human conceptuses; technically, human conceptuses in

utero that are older than 8 weeks (1974; MeSH map = Fetus)

FINANCIAL SUPPORT (1974; MeSH map = same) FLUORIDATION (1977; MeSH map = same) FOOD (1975; MeSH map = same) FORCE FEEDING (1978; MeSH map = Enteral nutrition) FORENSIC MEDICINE The application of medical knowledge to questions of law

and law enforcement (1991; MeSH map = same)

FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY The application of psychiatric knowledge to questions of law and law enforcement


FORMS A tag (rarely searched with an asterisk) which indicates that the document includes the text of a form or forms

(1996; MeSH map = Forms and records control)

FRAUD Fabrication or deliberate falsification of research results (1981; MeSH map = same) FREEDOM The absence of external constraints on the individual's right

and ability to act and make decisions (1974; MeSH map = same)

FRIENDS Persons whom one knows, likes, and trusts (1999; MeSH map = Interpersonal relations) FUTILITY The absence of a useful purpose or useful result in a

diagnostic procedure or therapeutic intervention; the determination of futility often involves a value judgment, particularly when quality of life is at issue

(1991; MeSH map = Medical futility)

FUTURE GENERATIONS (1974) GAMETE INTRAFALLOPIAN TRANSFER

A technique of assisted in vivo conception in which oocytes produced by hormonal stimulation of the ovaries are aspirated and transferred, together with semen, into the Fallopian tubes


GATEKEEPING The controlling of access to health services, usually by primary care physicians or nurses; often used by managed care programs to discourage use of expensive services and referrals

(1999)

GENE POOL The total genetic information possessed by the reproductive members of a population of sexually reproducing organisms


GENE THERAPY The treatment of genetic disorders through the introduction of properly functioning genes into the appropriate cells of an organism


GENES Biological units of heredity consisting of specific sequences of base pairs along a molecule of DNA

(1997; MeSH map= same)

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TERM SN NOTES GENETIC COUNSELING The process of advising prospective parents concerning the

risk of birth defects in current or anticipated pregnancies (1974; MeSH map = same)

GENETIC DETERMINISM The theory that human character and behavior are determined by the genes that comprise the individual's genotype rather than shaped by culture, social environment, and individual choice

(1998)

GENETIC DISORDERS (1974; MeSH map = Hereditary diseases) GENETIC DIVERSITY Genotypic differences among individuals and among

population groups (1998)

GENETIC ENHANCEMENT The use of genetic technologies to improve human capacities rather than to ameliorate overt disease or a genetic disorder

(1996; was GENE THERAPY or GENETIC INTERVENTION, 1974-1995; MeSH map = Genetic engineering)

GENETIC IDENTITY Personal identity as it is based on the individual's genotype (1998) GENETIC INFORMATION Genetic data, about an individual, family, or population

group, derived from genetic research, tests, or family histories

(1997)

GENETIC INTERVENTION General term for the modification of inheritable characteristics of individuals or populations through various social mechanisms and/or genetic technologies

(1974; MeSH map = Genetic engineering)

GENETIC MATERIALS DNA and biological samples from which DNA can be extracted; often used in genetic testing and genetic research

(1997)

GENETIC PREDISPOSITION The presence of genetic factors indicating the risk, but not the certainty, that an individual will develop a disorder later in life

(1995; MeSH map = Genetics)

GENETIC RESEARCH Broadly, investigation into the cause, transmission, amelioration, elimination, or enhancement of inherited disorders and/or traits

(1995; MeSH map = Genetics)

GENETIC SCREENING The use of diagnostic procedures intended to identify either individuals affected by a genetic disease or asymptomatic carriers of a particular genetic trait


GENETIC SERVICES Organized services to provide diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of genetic disorders

(1997)

GENETICS (1974; MeSH map = same) GENOME MAPPING A research effort that aims to produce a detailed map of the

gene locations and sequences of the genetic material in the chromosome of a human being

(1989; MeSH map = Human Genome Project)

GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS Used when geographic region or location is discussed as an issue in health care or biomedical research

(2000; MeSH map = Geography)

GERM CELLS Sperm or ova; in relation to species, the cells of the germline (unlike somatic cells) bridge the gap between generations


GHOST SURGERY Surgery performed by someone other than the patient's physician without the patient's knowledge and consent

(1980; MeSH map = Surgery, operative)

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TERM SN NOTES GIFTS Something bestowed voluntarily and usually without

expectation of anything in return; however, gift giving may be motivated by feelings of altruism or gratitude, by a sense of obligation, or by the hope of receiving something in return

(1998)

GOALS (1974; MeSH map = same) GOVERNMENT FINANCING Financial support by national, state, or local government (1995; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many

pre-1995 records; MeSH map = Financing, government) GOVERNMENT REGULATION (1974; MeSH map = Social control, formal) GROUP THERAPY (1974; MeSH map = Psychotherapy, group) GROWTH DISORDERS (1987; MeSH map = same) GUIDELINE ADHERENCE Conformity in fulfilling or following official, recognized, or

institutional requirements, guidelines, recommendations, protocols, pathways, or other standards


GUIDELINES Directions or principles set forth by groups such as government agencies, institutions, professional organizations, or expert panels to establish current or future rules of policy

(1993; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many pre-1993 records; MeSH map = same)

HEALTH (1974; MeSH map = same) HEALTH CARE (1974; MeSH map = same) HEALTH CARE DELIVERY The provision and distribution of health services to a

population (1974; MeSH map = Delivery of health care)

HEALTH CARE REFORM Improvement of a health care system, usually with the goal of increasing access to services by revamping existing methods of delivery and payment


HEALTH EDUCATION Health-related education geared to the layperson (1982; MeSH map = same) HEALTH FACILITIES (1975; MeSH map = same) HEALTH HAZARDS (1974; MeSH map = Hazardous substances) HEALTH INSURANCE (1974; MeSH map = Insurance, health) HEALTH INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT

Payment by private health insurers for covered health services; specifically, the issue of whether the particular condition or procedure is covered. For government coverage of health services, use GOVERNMENT FINANCING

(1995; was HEALTH INSURANCE and (FINANCIAL SUPPORT or REMUNERATION), 1974-1994; MeSH map = Insurance, health, reimbursement)

HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations providing health services to enrolled members for a fixed fee


HEALTH PERSONNEL (1974; formerly also MEDICAL STAFF, 1974-88; MeSH map = same)

HEALTH PROMOTION Encouraging behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care


HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH Research concerned with the organization, administration, needs, and functioning of health services


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TERM SN NOTES HEARING DISORDERS (2000; MeSH map = same) HEART DISEASES (1975; MeSH map = same) HEARTS (1974; MeSH map = Heart) HEMOPHILIA (1974; MeSH map = same) HEPATITIS (1974; MeSH map = same) HEROIN (1980; MeSH map = Diacetylmorphine) HINDU ETHICS (1993; MeSH map = Hinduism) HISPANIC AMERICANS (1989; MeSH map = same) HISTORICAL ASPECTS (1974; MeSH map = History) HIV SEROPOSITIVITY Development of neutralizing antibodies in persons who have

been exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/HTLV-III/LAV); linked to development of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex


HOME CARE Care of a patient at home, by family members and/or health personnel

(1990; MeSH map = Home care services)

HOMOSEXUALS (1974; MeSH map = Homosexuality) HORMONES (1987; MeSH map = same) HOSPICES Facilities and/or services that provide palliative and

supportive care for terminally ill patients and their families (1978; MeSH map = same)

HOSPITALS (1974; MeSH map = same) HUMAN BODY The organized physical substance of a human being; used

for philosophical, theological, medical, or legal approaches to the body or for social attitudes toward the body


HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS Qualities that distinguish human beings from nonhuman species

(1974)

HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION (1974; MeSH map = same) HUMAN RIGHTS (1974; MeSH map = same) HUMANISM An ethical system that emphasizes the welfare of human

beings and the personal worth of each individual (1975; MeSH map = same)

HUMANITIES (1974; MeSH map = same) HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE (1974; MeSH map = same) HYBRIDS The offspring of parents belonging to different species,

varieties, or genotypes (1974; MeSH map = Chimera)

HYPERKINESIS (1974; MeSH map = same) HYPERTENSION (1978; MeSH map = same) HYPNOSIS (1974; MeSH map = same) IATROGENIC DISEASE Illness or injury occurring as the result of treatment (1979; MeSH map = same) ILLEGAL ABORTION (1974; MeSH map = Abortion, criminal) IMMUNIZATION (1974; MeSH map = same) IN VITRO FERTILIZATION Fertilization of an ovum outside the body (1974; MeSH map = Fertilization in vitro)

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TERM SN NOTES INCENTIVES (1974; MeSH map = Motivation) INDIGENTS (1974; MeSH map = Poverty) INDUSTRY (1975; MeSH map = same) INFANTICIDE The practice of killing infants at birth or soon thereafter (1974; MeSH map = same) INFANTS Age designation for humans 1-23 months old (1974; MeSH map = Infant) INFERTILITY Diminished or absent capacity to conceive or produce

offspring (1974; MeSH map = same)

INFLUENZA (1977; MeSH map = same) INFORMAL SOCIAL CONTROL Restraints on behavior that are exerted through social

pressure, for example, through mores, folkways, conventions, or public sentiment

(1974; MeSH map = Social control, informal)

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION (1974; MeSH map = Information services) INFORMED CONSENT Agreement by a competent individual to accept treatment or

to participate in research after having received and comprehended an adequate explanation of the proposed procedures, their attendant risks, and alternatives


INJURIES (1974; MeSH map = Wounds and injuries) INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS Moral principles that apply to corporate entities such as

institutions or organizations (1975; MeSH map = Ethics, institutional)

INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES Practices of health facilities, research institutes, or universities

(1974; MeSH map = Organizational policy)

INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS (1974; MeSH map = Institutionalization) INSULIN (1978; MeSH map = same) INSURANCE (1977; MeSH map = same) INSURANCE SELECTION BIAS Selective enrollment by insurers that results in

disproportionate rejection of certain groups of people, such as those with preexisting conditions or with predispositions to disease


INTELLIGENCE (1974; MeSH map = same) INTENSIVE CARE UNITS Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to

critically ill patients (1974; MeSH map = same)

INTENTION (1974; MeSH map = Motivation) INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATION

(1974; MeSH map = Interprofessional relations)

INTERNAL MEDICINE The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the internal organ systems of adults


INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS (1975; MeSH map = International cooperation) INTERNSHIP AND RESIDENCY (1980; MeSH map = same) INTERPROFESSIONAL RELATIONS The interaction of two or more professionals from the same

or different fields (1991; MeSH map = same)

INTERSEXUALITY The condition of having genital, gonadal, or chromosomal (2000; MeSH map = Hermaphroditism)

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TERM SN NOTES characteristics that are neither all "female" nor all "male"

INVESTIGATIONAL DRUGS Drugs which have received FDA approval for human testing but have yet to be approved for commercial marketing. These include drugs used for treatment while they still are undergoing clinical trials

(1992; MeSH map = Drugs, investigational)

INVESTIGATOR SUBJECT RELATIONSHIP

(1974)

INVESTIGATORS Professionals engaged in biomedical or behavioral research (1977; MeSH map = Research personnel) INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT (1974; MeSH map = Commitment of mentally ill) INVOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA The killing of a patient who is suffering or is afflicted with an

incurable disease or condition, for reasons of mercy, without that person's consent


INVOLUNTARY STERILIZATION Sterilization performed without the consent of the patient (1974; MeSH map = Sterilization, involuntary) ISLAMIC ETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Islam) JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES (1974; MeSH map = Christianity) JEWISH ETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Judaism) JEWS (1975; MeSH map = same) JOURNALISM The gathering, writing, editing, and publishing or

broadcasting of news and related commentary and feature materials in such media as newspapers, magazines, journals, radio and television, and the Internet


JUDICIAL ACTION Used for discussions of the role of the judiciary in bioethical decision making


JUSTICE The principle that no arbitrary distinctions are to be made among persons in the assigning of basic rights and duties, or in the distribution of social benefits and burdens

(1974; MeSH map = Social justice)

KIDNEY DISEASES (1974; MeSH map = same) KIDNEYS (1974; MeSH map = Kidney) KILLING Overt action that directly causes the death of another person (1974; MeSH map = Homicide) KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, PRACTICE

Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors related to medical procedures or to ethical issues in health care or biomedical research


LABORATORIES Facilities equipped to carry out investigative procedures (1999; MeSH map = same) LATE-ONSET DISORDERS Genetic disorders which do not manifest themselves until

adulthood but for which early presymptomatic testing may be available

(1995; was GENETIC DISORDERS or HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE, 1974-1994; MeSH map = Age of onset)

LAW The science or philosophy of law; or, a legal system (1974; MeSH map = Jurisprudence) LAW ENFORCEMENT (1974; MeSH map = Social control, formal) LAWYERS (1991; MeSH map = Jurisprudence) LEGAL ASPECTS (1974; MeSH map = Jurisprudence) LEGAL GUARDIANS Individuals empowered by law to make decisions concerning (1974; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES the welfare of persons considered legally incapable of acting on their own behalf, such as minors and mental incompetents

LEGAL LIABILITY (1974; MeSH map = Liability, legal) LEGAL OBLIGATIONS (1975; MeSH map = Jurisprudence) LEGAL RIGHTS (1974; MeSH map = Civil rights) LEGISLATION Proposed laws (bills) or enacted laws (1974; MeSH map = same) LEUKEMIA (1978; MeSH map = same) LIBERTARIANISM A philosophical theory and a political doctrine that share a

belief in the sovereignty and freedom of the individual (1996; was FREEDOM, 1974-1995; MeSH map = Freedom)

LIFE EXTENSION The development or use of techniques for retarding the process of aging

(1975; MeSH map = Life expectancy)

LIFE INSURANCE (1975; MeSH map = Insurance, life) LITERATURE (1975; MeSH map = same) LIVERS (1983; MeSH map = Liver) LIVING WILLS Written, witnessed declarations in which persons request

that if they become disabled beyond reasonable expectation of recovery, they be allowed to die rather than be kept alive by extraordinary means


LONG-TERM CARE Care over an extended period, usually for a chronic condition or disability, requiring periodic, intermittent, or continuous care


LOVE (1974; MeSH map = same) LOW BIRTH WEIGHT A birth weight of 2500 grams (5 lb., 8 oz.) or less (1994; MeSH map = Infant, low birth weight) LSD (1974; MeSH map = Lysergic acid diethylamide) MALES (1974; MeSH map = Men) MALPRACTICE In law, failure of a professional to exercise a reasonable

degree of skill and care (1974; MeSH map = same)

MANAGED CARE PROGRAMS Health insurance plans intended to reduce unnecessary health care costs through a variety of mechanisms, including economic incentives for physicians and patients to select less costly forms of care, programs for reviewing the medical necessity of specific services, increased beneficiary cost sharing, controls on inpatient admissions and lengths of stay, selective contracting with health care providers, and the intensive management of high-cost health care cases


MANDATORY PROGRAMS (1974; MeSH map = Coercion) MANDATORY REPORTING A legal or policy requirement that health personnel notify

appropriate authorities of designated types of information, acquired in their professional roles, relating to public health, law enforcement, or professional conduct

(1996; was LEGAL OBLIGATIONS or MANDATORY PROGRAMS, 1974-1995; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES MANDATORY TESTING Testing or screening for the diagnosis of specified conditions

that is required by law or by agency or institutional policy; pertains usually to specific populations such as categories of health care providers, patients, members of the military, aliens, and prisoners or to specific situations such as premarital examinations or donor screening

(1995; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many pre-1995 records; MeSH map = same)

MARITAL RELATIONSHIP (1974; MeSH map = Marriage) MARRIED PERSONS (1974; MeSH map = Spouses) MASS MEDIA Instruments of communication that reach large numbers of

people; for example, the press, radio, television (1978; MeSH map = same)

MASS SCREENING The use of quick and simple diagnostic procedures with large groups of apparently well people for the purpose of detecting the presence or risk of diseases or disorders


MATERNAL HEALTH (1974; MeSH map = Maternal welfare) MEDIATION Intervention between conflicting parties to promote

understanding, reconciliation, settlement, or compromise (1999)

MEDICAL DEVICES (1975; MeSH map = Equipment and supplies) MEDICAL EDUCATION (1974; MeSH map = Education, medical) MEDICAL ERRORS Mistakes in diagnosis or treatment that may result in harm to

patients; medical errors are differentiated from MALPRACTICE in that they do not result from gross negligence, reprehensible ignorance, or criminal intent


MEDICAL ETHICS The set of moral principles that govern, or should govern, the practice of medicine

(1974; MeSH map = Ethics, medical)

MEDICAL ETIQUETTE Accepted forms of social behavior among physicians (1974; MeSH map = Interprofessional relations) MEDICAL FEES (1974; MeSH map = Fees, medical) MEDICAL RECORDS (1974; MeSH map = same) MEDICAL SCHOOLS Educational institutions for individuals specializing in the

field of medicine (1998; MeSH map = Schools, medical)

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES Fields of medical practice limited to specific classes of patients, diseases, or techniques [note: some specific specialties (e.g., SURGERY) will also retrieve treatments; to narrow the search to the ethics of the specialty, coordinate it with MEDICAL ETHICS]

(1996; MeSH map = Specialties, medical)

MEDICINE (1974; MeSH map = same) MENTAL HEALTH (1974; MeSH map = same) MENTAL INSTITUTIONS (1974; MeSH map = Hospitals, psychiatric) MENTALLY DISABLED (1974; MeSH map = Mentally disabled persons) MENTALLY ILL (1974; MeSH map = Mental disorders) MENTALLY RETARDED (1974; MeSH map = Mental retardation) METAETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Ethics)

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TERM SN NOTES METAPHOR The application of a concept to which it is not literally

applicable but which suggests a resemblance and invites comparison


METHODS (1975; MeSH map = same) MICROBIOLOGY (1979; MeSH map = same) MILITARY PERSONNEL (1974; MeSH map = same) MINORITY GROUPS (1974; MeSH map = same) MINORS Persons who have not attained the age at which full civil

rights are accorded (1981; MeSH map = Adolescence)

MISCONDUCT Violation of laws, regulations, or professional standards (1981) MODEL LEGISLATION (1974; MeSH map = Legislation) MODELS, THEORECTICAL Representations of the behavior, activity, or characteristics

of systems, processes, or phenomena (1999; MeSH map = same)

MORAL COMPLICITY Association with or participation in an act that is, or is perceived to be, immoral

(1992; MeSH map = Morals)

MORAL DEVELOPMENT The process by which individuals internalize standards of right and wrong conduct


MORAL OBLIGATIONS (1974; MeSH map = Social responsibility) MORAL POLICY A value-based course of action designed to resolve an

ethical dilemma (1974; MeSH map = Ethics)

MORALITY Generally accepted standards of right and wrong conduct (1974; MeSH map = Morals) MORBIDITY The extent of illness, injury, or disability in a defined

population; or, the quality or state of being diseased (1974; MeSH map = same)

MORTALITY The number of deaths in a given population during a given period of time or from a particular cause


MOTHER FETUS RELATIONSHIP (1974) MOTHERS (1974; MeSH map = same) MOTIVATION (1974; MeSH map = same) MULTIPLE PREGNANCY (1989; MeSH map = Pregnancy, multiple) MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT (1976; MeSH map = same) NARRATIVE ETHICS An approach to ethics that focuses on the particular and the

personal in the life story of an individual (1997)

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE (1978; MeSH map = National health programs) NATIONAL SOCIALISM (1976; MeSH map = Political systems) NATURAL LAW Rules of conduct derived from nature and considered to be

binding upon human society in the absence of, or in addition to, institutional law

(1974)

NEGLIGENCE In law or ethics, failure to exercise a reasonable degree of care in one's actions

(1974; MeSH map = Malpractice)

NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS (1981; MeSH map = same) NEWBORNS Age designation for humans during the first month of (1974; MeSH map = Infant, newborn)

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TERM SN NOTES postnatal life

NONTHERAPEUTIC RESEARCH Research that is not intended to benefit the subject on whom it is performed

(1974; MeSH map = Human experimentation)

NON-WESTERN WORLD An inexact term used to characterize countries whose cultural values and traditions are not of European derivation.

(2000)

NORMALITY (1974) NUCLEAR ENERGY (1978; MeSH map = same) NUCLEAR WARFARE (1982; MeSH map = same) NURSE MIDWIVES (1980; MeSH map = same) NURSE PATIENT RELATIONSHIP (1984; MeSH map = Nurse-patient relations) NURSES (1974; MeSH map = same) NURSE'S ROLE The expected and characteristic behavior of a nurse as a

member of the nursing profession (1998)

NURSING EDUCATION (1974; MeSH map = Education, nursing) NURSING ETHICS The set of moral principles that govern, or should govern,

nursing practice (1974; MeSH map = Ethics, nursing)

NURSING HOMES Facilities that provide nursing supervision and limited medical care to persons who do not require hospitalization


NURSING RESEARCH Research carried out by nurses, generally in clinical settings, in the areas of clinical practice, evaluation, nursing education, nursing administration, and methodology


NUTRITION The science of food, the nutrients and other substances contained therein, their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease


OBLIGATIONS OF SOCIETY (1975; MeSH map = Social responsibility) OBLIGATIONS TO SOCIETY (1975; MeSH map = Social responsibility) OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY (1974) OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE Exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or

biological agents that occurs as a result of one's occupation (1974; MeSH map = same)

OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE The branch of medicine concerned with the promotion and maintenance of the physical and mental health of employees in an occupational setting


OPERANT CONDITIONING Modification of behavior through the use of positive and/or negative reinforcement

(1974; MeSH map = Conditioning, operant)

OPHTHALMOLOGY The branch of medicine concerned with the eye, its diseases, and refractive errors


OPIOID ANALGESICS Narcotic or opioid substances, either synthetic or semisynthetic agents, that produce profound analgesia, drowsiness, and changes in mood

(2000; MeSH map = Analgesics, opioid)

ORGAN DONATION (1974; MeSH map = Tissue donors) ORGAN DONORS (1974; MeSH map = Tissue donors)

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TERM SN NOTES ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION (1974; MeSH map = same) ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

The planning and managing of programs, committees, services, and resources


ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES Positions on issues taken by groups such as professional and voluntary health associations

(1974; MeSH map = Organizational policy)

OUTPATIENT COMMITMENT Legally mandated outpatient treatment of the mentally ill (1987; MeSH map = Commitment of mentally ill) OVUM (1980; MeSH map = same) OVUM DONORS (1975; MeSH map = Tissue donors) PAIN (1974; MeSH map = same) PALLIATIVE CARE Care that alleviates symptoms without curing the underlying

disease (1997; MeSH map = same)

PARALYSIS Loss or impairment of motor function in a part or parts of the body due to a lesion of the neural or muscular mechanism


PARENT CHILD RELATIONSHIP (1974; MeSH map = Parent-child relations) PARENTAL CONSENT Informed consent given by a parent on behalf of a minor or

otherwise legally incompetent child (1974; MeSH map = Informed consent)

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION Reporting to parents about care to be provided to a minor (1984; MeSH map = Parents) PARENTS (1974; MeSH map = same) PASTORAL CARE Counseling or comfort given by members of the clergy to

patients in stressful situations (1984; MeSH map = same)

PATENTS (1974; MeSH map = same) PATERNALISM The setting of limits on individual autonomy in an effort to

benefit, or to prevent harm to, the person whose autonomy is limited

(1977)

PATIENT ACCESS TO RECORDS Access by patients to their own medical, genetic, or other health-related records

(1974; MeSH map = Patient advocacy)

PATIENT ADMISSION Acceptance of a patient by a hospital or other health facility (1985; MeSH map = same) PATIENT ADVOCACY Promotion and protection of the rights of patients by an

institutionally-appointed or self-designated person or group (1974; MeSH map = same)

PATIENT CARE Includes medical and nursing care (1974; MeSH map = same) PATIENT CARE TEAM A multidisciplinary team in which each member of the team

has specific responsibilities and the whole team contributes to the care of the patient

(1989; was HEALTH PERSONNEL, 1974-88; MeSH map = same)

PATIENT COMPLIANCE Cooperation of the patient in following a prescribed regimen (1990; MeSH map = same) PATIENT DISCHARGE Discharge of a patient from a hospital or other health facility (1998; MeSH map = same) PATIENT EDUCATION The teaching or training of patients about their own health

care needs of about use of health care services, advance directives, etc.


PATIENT PARTICIPATION (1974; MeSH map = same) PATIENT SATISFACTION The degree to which the individual regards the health care

service or product or the manner in which it is delivered by (1999; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES the provider as useful, effective, or beneficial

PATIENT TRANSFER Interfacility transfer of patients, usually for economic reasons (1990; MeSH map = same) PATIENTS (1974; MeSH map = same) PATIENTS' RIGHTS Fundamental claims of patients, as expressed in statutes,

declarations, or generally accepted moral principles (1974; MeSH map = Patient advocacy)

PEDIATRICS (1974; MeSH map = same) PEER REVIEW The evaluation by professionals of the quality of work

performed by fellow professionals (1974; MeSH map = same)

PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE A chronic neurological condition characterized by loss of upper cortical function, presence of sleep-wake cycles, and lack of awareness and meaningful responsiveness


PERSONHOOD Descriptively, the status of being self-aware, capable of rational thought and of moral agency; normatively, the status of being accorded moral and/or legal rights

(1974; MeSH map = Individuality)

PHARMACISTS (1974; MeSH map = same) PHENYLKETONURIA (1974; MeSH map = same) PHILOSOPHY (1974; MeSH map = same) PHYSICAL RESTRAINT Use of a device for the purpose of preventing an individual

from moving all or part of the body (1989; MeSH map = Restraint, physical)

PHYSICALLY DISABLED (1974; MeSH map = Disabled persons) PHYSICIAN NURSE RELATIONSHIP (1978; MeSH map = Physician-nurse relations) PHYSICIAN PATIENT RELATIONSHIP (1974; MeSH map = Physician-patient relations) PHYSICIAN SELF-REFERRAL Referral by physicians to testing or treatment facilities in

which they have a financial interest (1995; retrospectively added by search algorithm to many pre-1995 records; MeSH map = same)

PHYSICIANS (1974; MeSH map = same) PHYSICIAN'S ROLE (1974; MeSH map = same) PLACEBOS Biologically inactive substances used for their psychological

effect in patient care or as control agents in research (1975; MeSH map = same)

POLICY ANALYSIS Indicates that the document contains substantive argumentation concerning moral and/or public policy, or that it describes the process of policy making

(1991; MeSH map = Policy making)

POLIOMYELITIS (1977; MeSH map = same) POLITICAL ACTIVITY Actions by individual citizens or by interest groups, designed

to influence government policies (1977; MeSH map = Politics)

POLITICAL SYSTEMS (1978; MeSH map = same) POLITICS Actions by government officials or bodies in the

development of public policy (1975; MeSH map = same)

POPULATION CONTROL Regulation of the growth and distribution of people in a country or region


POPULATION GENETICS The study of the genetic composition of populations (2000; MeSH map = Genetics, population) POSTHUMOUS REPRODUCTION Giving rise to offspring after one's death, that is, from (1999)

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TERM SN NOTES gametes that have been collected and stored during life or immediately after death

POSTMODERNISM A style of cultural analysis that rejects factual objectivity and seeks to reveal the cultural or social construction of concepts that are generally assumed to be natural or universal

(2000)

PRACTICE GUIDELINES Directions or principles, developed by consensus of experts, presenting current or future rules of policy for the health care practitioner to assist in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances


PRECONCEPTION INJURIES Injuries to offspring attributed to damage sustained by either parent before the start of pregnancy

(1978; MeSH map = Prenatal exposure delayed effects)

PREGNANT WOMEN (1974; MeSH map = Pregnancy) PREIMPLANTATION DIAGNOSIS Determination of the genetic makeup of an early human

embryo, prior to implantation (1991; MeSH map = same)

PREMATURITY (1974; MeSH map = Infant, premature) PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS Determination of fetal status prior to birth (1974; MeSH map = same) PRENATAL INJURIES (1974; MeSH map = Prenatal exposure delayed effects) PRESUMED CONSENT An institutional policy of granting authority to health

personnel to perform procedures on patients or to remove organs from cadavers for transplantation unless an objection is registered by family members or the patient prior to death

(1986; MeSH map = Informed consent)

PREVALENCE The number of cases of a given disease in a specified population at a designated time


PREVENTIVE MEDICINE The branch of medicine concerned with the prevention of disease and the promotion and preservation of health


PRIMARY HEALTH CARE Health care provided by the professional who is a patient's initial contact with the health care system and who may refer the patient to a specialist


PRIMATES (1990; MeSH map = same) PRINCIPLE-BASED ETHICS An approach to ethical theory that focuses on the

importance of general moral principles (for example, respect for autonomy, beneficence/nonmaleficence, and justice)

(1998)

PRISONERS (1974; MeSH map = same) PRIVACY Freedom from unauthorized oversight or observation (1974; MeSH map = same) PRIVATE SECTOR The part of the institutional, industrial, or economic structure

of a country that is controlled or owned by nongovernmental interests


PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION In law, a confidential statement made to a lawyer, physician, pastor, or spouse, which is privileged against disclosure in court if the privilege is claimed by the client, patient, penitent, or spouse

(1974; MeSH map = Confidentiality)

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TERM SN NOTES PROFESSIONAL AUTONOMY The quality or state of being independent and self-directing,

especially in making decisions, that enables professionals to exercise judgment as they see fit during the performance of their duties


PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE The ability to perform the duties of one's profession with an acceptable degree of skill

(1975; was TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, 1974; MeSH map = same)

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Moral principles that apply to professional groups (1974; MeSH map = Ethics, professional) PROFESSIONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

Interaction between patients' families and health professionals

(1997; MeSH map = Professional-family relations)

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (1975; MeSH map = Societies) PROFESSIONAL PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

Interaction between patients and health professionals (1974; MeSH map = Professional-patient relations)

PROFESSIONAL ROLE The expected and characteristic behavior of a member of a particular profession

(2000)

PROGNOSIS (1974; MeSH map = same) PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS (1974) PROLONGATION OF LIFE The use of therapeutic measures to prevent or delay the

death of critically or terminally ill patients (1974; MeSH map = Life support care)

PROPERTY RIGHTS (1974; MeSH map = Civil rights) PROPRIETARY HEALTH FACILITIES Health care facilities (including diagnostic centers and

clinical laboratories) that are privately owned and that operate on a for-profit basis

(1992; MeSH map = Health facilities, proprietary)

PROPRIETARY HOSPITALS Hospitals that are privately owned and that operate on a for-profit basis

(1974; MeSH map = Hospitals, proprietary)

PROTESTANT ETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Christianity) PROTESTANTS (1974; MeSH map = Christianity) PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS (1974; MeSH map = Mental disorders) PSYCHIATRIC WILLS Declarations in which persons assert in advance their desire

to accept or reject psychiatric interventions that they may be deemed to require in the future

(1994; MeSH map = Wills)

PSYCHIATRY (1974; MeSH map = same) PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS Pharmacological agents which affect the mind or alter states

of consciousness (1974; MeSH map = Psychotropic drugs)

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS (1974; MeSH map = Stress, psychological) PSYCHOLOGY (1974; MeSH map = same) PSYCHOSURGERY Treatment of psychiatric disorders by the surgical removal of

cerebral tissue or by the interruption of pathways in the brain (1974; MeSH map = same)

PSYCHOTHERAPY (1974; MeSH map = same) PUBLIC HEALTH Protection and improvement of community health, or

prevention of disease, by organized community or government effort


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TERM SN NOTES PUBLIC HOSPITALS Hospitals controlled by federal, state, or local governments (1974; MeSH map = Hospitals, public) PUBLIC OPINION (1974; MeSH map = same) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1974; MeSH map = Consumer participation) PUBLIC POLICY A course of action by a government (1974; MeSH map = same) PUBLIC SECTOR The part of a nation's economy that is tax-supported and

under government control (1974; MeSH map = same)

PUNISHMENT (1976; MeSH map = same) QUALITY ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS A measurement index derived from a modification of

standard life-table procedures and designed to take account of the quality as well as the duration of survival; this index can be used in assessing the outcome of health care procedures or services

(1990; MeSH map = Quality-adjusted life years)

QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE The adequacy of patient care or of health services, as measured against social or professional standards


QUALITY OF LIFE The overall condition of a human life (1974; MeSH map = same) QUARANTINE Limitation of the freedom of movement of persons who have

been exposed to a communicable disease (and, loosely, of patients and infected persons), for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease

(1988; was MANDATORY PROGRAMS and (COMMUNICABLE DISEASES or PUBLIC HEALTH or name of a particular disease); MeSH map = same)

RADIATION (1975; MeSH map = same) RADIOLOGY The branch of medicine concerned with the use of x-rays,

radioactive substances, and other types of ionizing radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease


RANDOM SELECTION The use of chance in allocating research subjects to treatment groups

(1974; MeSH map = Random allocation)

RAPE (1980; was SEX OFFENSES, 1974-79; MeSH map = same) RECALL Remembrance by a patient or research subject of

information given orally or in writing (1979; MeSH map = same)

RECOMBINANT DNA RESEARCH Research using biologically active DNA which has been formed in the laboratory by the joining of segments of DNA from different sources

(1978; MeSH map = DNA, recombinant)

RECORDS (1978; MeSH map = same) REFERRAL AND CONSULTATION The act or practice of sending a patient to another program

or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide


REFUSAL TO TREAT Refusal by a health professional or a health facility to treat a patient; the motivation is likely to be bias or fear of infection (consider also SELECTION FOR TREATMENT, in which criteria are used to ration resources or to determine the appropriateness of treatment for categories of patients; differentiate from TREATMENT REFUSAL, which originates with the patient rather than with the health professional)


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TERM SN NOTES REGIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEES Committees established to protect the welfare of patients or

research subjects at two or more facilities in the same geographic area


REGISTRIES A collection of official records, e.g., of the names of organ or tissue donors or of patients with a particular disease or who have undergone a particular treatment


REGULATION (1981; was SOCIAL CONTROL, 1974-80; MeSH map = Social control, formal)

REHABILITATION Restoration of function, to the maximum degree possible, of persons suffering from disease or injury


RELIGION (1974; MeSH map = same) RELIGIOUS ETHICS (1975; MeSH map = Religion) RELIGIOUS HOSPITALS (1974; MeSH map = Hospitals, religious) REMUNERATION Payment for a service or for a commodity such as a body

part (1974; MeSH map = Fees and charges)

RENAL DIALYSIS (1974; MeSH map = Hemodialysis) REPRODUCTION (1974; MeSH map = same) REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (1974; MeSH map = Reproduction techniques) REQUIRED REQUEST An organ procurement policy based on the requirement that

health personnel routinely make inquiry of family members about the possibility of removing organs from a patient who has been declared legally dead

(1986; MeSH map = Organ procurement)

RESEARCH DESIGN (1974; MeSH map = same) RESEARCH EMBRYO CREATION The creation of embryos, by in vitro fertilization, specifically

for research purposes (1996; MeSH map = Embryo)

RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES Institutional committees established to protect the welfare of research subjects


RESEARCH INSTITUTES (1974; MeSH map = Academies and institutes) RESEARCH SUBJECTS (1975; MeSH map = Human experimentation) RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES Facilities that provide supervision and assistance in activities

of daily living (1974; MeSH map = same)

RESOURCE ALLOCATION Societal or institutional decisions about the distribution of available resources to and within health care

(1974; MeSH map = Health care rationing)

RESUSCITATION The reviving of patients from unconsciousness or apparent death, e.g., by restoration of breathing after respiratory arrest or of heartbeat after cardiac arrest


RESUSCITATION ORDERS Instructions, policies, and decision making regarding the reviving of patients whose respiration and/or heartbeat have stopped


RETREATMENT Repeat treatment of the same disease in a patient when the initial treatment was unsuccessful; used in the context of


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TERM SN NOTES selection for treatment when resources are limited, as in the case of organ transplantation

RETROSPECTIVE MORAL JUDGMENT

The application of current standards of morality to past actions, institutions, or persons


REVIEW Used as a tag to indicate that the document provides a substantive overview of bioethics or of a major bioethical issue

(1985; MeSH map = same, as a PT)

REVIEW COMMITTEES Institutional committees established to oversee the maintenance of safety standards in laboratory research not involving human subjects, or other (non-ethics) committees responsible for monitoring the maintenance of standards

(1977)

RIGHT TO DIE A right claimed by patients or their representatives to make decisions with regard to the patient's dying, such as by refusing life-sustaining medical care or by requesting assistance in dying


RIGHT TO TREATMENT In law, the claim of persons involuntarily institutionalized on the ground of mental handicap to receive appropriate care for their conditions or diseases

(1974; MeSH map = Patient advocacy)

RIGHTS (1974; MeSH map = Human rights) RISK The probability that an unfavorable event will occur; it

encompasses a variety of measures of probability including those based on statistical data and those based on subjective judgment


RISKS AND BENEFITS (1974; MeSH map = Risk) ROMAN CATHOLIC ETHICS (1974; MeSH map = Catholicism) ROMAN CATHOLICS (1974; MeSH map = Catholicism) RUBELLA (1974; MeSH map = same) SCARCITY (1974) SCHIZOPHRENIA (1974; MeSH map = same) SCHOOLS Educational institutions (1998; MeSH map = same) SCIENCE (1976; MeSH map = same) SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT Violation of laws, regulations, or professional standards in

biomedical or behavioral research or in animal or human experimentation


SECULARISM The view that matters of civil policy should be conducted without the influence of religious beliefs

(1997)

SEDATIVES Drugs used to induce drowsiness or sleep or to reduce psychological excitement or anxiety

(2000; MeSH map = Hypnotics and sedatives)

SELECTION FOR TREATMENT The use of criteria for determining the appropriateness of including categories of patients with specific conditions in proposed treatment plans or for choosing categories of patients to be treated when resources are limited; also used

(1974; MeSH map = Health care rationing)

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TERM SN NOTES for discussions of disparities in treatment related to quality of life, socioeconomic, or demographic factors

SELECTION OF SUBJECTS The establishment or use of criteria for determining which subjects may be asked to participate in research

(1974)

SELECTIVE ABORTION Abortion of a fetus because it is, or may be, defective (1974; MeSH map = Abortion, eugenic) SELF CONCEPT (1974; MeSH map = same) SELF INDUCED ILLNESS (1975; MeSH map = Life style) SELF REGULATION (1974; MeSH map = Social control, informal) SEMEN DONORS (1974; MeSH map = Tissue donors) SEX DETERMINATION Determination of the sex of a fetus in utero (1974) SEX OFFENSES (1974; MeSH map = same) SEX PRESELECTION Choosing the sex of a child prior to conception (1974; MeSH map = same) SEXUALITY (1974; MeSH map = same) SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES


SIBLINGS (1978; MeSH map = Nuclear family) SICKLE CELL ANEMIA (1974; MeSH map = Anemia, sickle cell) SINGLE PERSONS (1975; MeSH map = Single person) SMOKING (1978; MeSH map = same) SOCIAL CONTROL (1974; MeSH map = Social control, formal) SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION (1982; MeSH map = Prejudice) SOCIAL DOMINANCE Superiority of rank or authority in relation to other persons or

groups (1974; MeSH map = same)

SOCIAL IMPACT (1974; MeSH map = Social change) SOCIAL INTERACTION (1974; MeSH map = Interpersonal relations) SOCIAL PROBLEMS (1974; Mesh map = same) SOCIAL SCIENCES (1977; MeSH map = same) SOCIAL WORKERS (1976; MeSH map = Social work) SOCIAL WORTH Usefulness or importance of a person to society (1974; MeSH map = Social desirability) SOCIALISM (1978; MeSH map = same) SOCIOBIOLOGY The systematic study of the biological basis of social

behavior (1977)

SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS (1974; MeSH map = same) SOCIOLOGY OF MEDICINE The social structure of medical institutions or the medical

profession (1974; MeSH map = Sociology, medical)

SPECIESISM The theory that there is a morally relevant distinction between humans and nonhuman species

(1986; MeSH map = Animal rights)

SPERM (1974; MeSH map = Spermatozoa) SPINA BIFIDA (1974; MeSH map = same) SPORTS MEDICINE The branch of medicine concerned with physical fitness and

the diagnosis and treatment of injuries sustained in sports (1986; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES activities

SPOUSAL CONSENT (1974; MeSH map = Informed consent) SPOUSAL NOTIFICATION The reporting of a woman's abortion request or health status

to her spouse (1994; MeSH map = Contact tracing)

STANDARDS Criteria for acceptable performance or legal adequacy of an institution or practice

(1974; MeSH map = Reference standards)

STATE GOVERNMENT (1974; MeSH map = same) STATE INTEREST The concern of the state, within constitutional limits, to

protect legal incompetents, public health, public safety, and the general welfare


STATE MEDICINE A system of health care financed and controlled by the government


STATISTICS Used as a tag to indicate that the document contains numerical data


STEM CELLS Relatively undifferentiated cells that have the ability to give rise to more differentiated or specialized cells


STERILIZATION (SEXUAL) Procedures that render individuals incapable of reproduction (1974; MeSH map = Sterilization, sexual) STIGMATIZATION Negative labeling of an individual or group (1974; MeSH map = Stereotyping) STRIKES (1977; MeSH map = Strikes, employee) STUDENTS (1976; MeSH map = same) SUFFERING The experience of mental or physical pain (1974; MeSH map = Pain) SUICIDE The act of killing oneself (1974; MeSH map = same) SUPREME COURT DECISIONS Decisions by the United States Supreme Court (1974; MeSH map = Jurisprudence) SURGERY (1974; MeSH map = same) SURROGATE MOTHERS Females who agree to artificial insemination or embryo

transfer with the understanding that the resulting child is to be raised by the persons who have commissioned the surrogate


SURVEY Used as a tag to indicate that the document contains data collected by such means as questionnaires or interviews

(1974; MeSH map = Data collection)

SYPHILIS (1975; MeSH map = same) TAY SACHS DISEASE (1974; MeSH map = Tay-Sachs disease) TEACHING METHODS (1974; MeSH map = Teaching) TECHNICAL EXPERTISE (1974; MeSH map = Professional competence) TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT The evaluation of a technology in terms of its efficacy and

impact on society (1974; MeSH map = Technology assessment, biomedical)

TELEOLOGICAL ETHICS Theories of ethics which hold that the rightness or wrongness of an act can be determined by assessing the good and evil consequences which the act produces


TERMINAL CARE (1974; MeSH map = same) TERMINALLY ILL (1974; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES TERMINOLOGY Indicates that the document defines bioethical terms or

discusses the ethical implications of the use of certain terms (1992; MeSH map = Nomenclature)

THALASSEMIA (1977; MeSH map = same) THEOLOGY The rational interpretation of religious doctrines (1974; MeSH map = Religion) THERAPEUTIC ABORTION (1974; MeSH map = Abortion, therapeutic) THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH Research that is intended to benefit the subject on whom it

is performed (1974; MeSH map = Research)

THIRD PARTY CONSENT Informed consent given by someone other than the patient or research subject

(1974; MeSH map = Informed consent)

TIME FACTORS Used when time is discussed as a factor in relation to a subject or an issue

(1977; MeSH = same)

TISSUE BANKS Facilities for the collection, storage, and distribution of organs and tissues for clinical or research use


TISSUE DONATION (1989; was ORGAN DONATION, 1974-88; MeSH map = Tissue donors)

TISSUE TRANSPLANTATION (1976; MeSH map = same) TORTS In law, private or civil wrongs, other than breach of contract,

for which the courts will provide a remedy in the form of an action for damages


TORTURE (1974; MeSH map = same) TOXICITY Harmful effects of drugs or chemicals (1974) TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS (1982; MeSH map = Accidents, traffic) TRANSGENIC ANIMALS Animals, or their offspring, into which foreign DNA

sequences have been transferred during fertilization or during the early stages of embryonic development; the foreign DNA is present in the reproductive cells of such animals and can therefore be passed on to their progeny

(1990; MeSH map = Animals, transgenic)

TRANSGENIC ORGANISMS Organisms that have had genes from other species inserted into their genome

(1997)

TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS (1976; MeSH map = Transplantation) TRANSSEXUALISM (1978; MeSH map = same) TREATMENT OUTCOME The results of clinical interventions in terms of patient health

or quality of life (1994; MeSH map = same)

TREATMENT REFUSAL Refusal of treatment by an individual or by a third party authorized to make decisions on behalf of a legally incompetent person


TRENDS Used for the manner in which a subject changes, qualitatively or quantitatively, with time, whether past, present, or future

(1997)

TRUST Confidence in or reliance on a person or thing (1974) TRUTH DISCLOSURE Truthful revelation to a patient or the patient's family of the (1974; MeSH map = same)

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TERM SN NOTES patient's diagnosis or prognosis, errors in treatment, or other ``bad news'' (differentiate from DISCLOSURE, which is used in the context of communicating to patients or research subjects information about risks and benefits or alternative approaches to treatment or experimentation)

TUBERCULOSIS Any of the infectious diseases caused by species of Mycobacterium


TWINNING The division of a zygote into two parts, each of which is capable of further development

(1974; MeSH map = Twins)

TWINS (1974; MeSH map = same) UNCERTAINTY The condition in which validated scientific knowledge

regarding risks, benefits, diagnosis, or prognosis is unavailable

(1991; MeSH map = Probability)

UNIVERSITIES (1974; MeSH map = same) UNWANTED CHILDREN (1975; MeSH map = Child, unwanted) UTILITARIANISM A teleological ethical theory which holds that the morality of

an act can be determined by whether it produces the greatest good for the greatest number


VALUE OF LIFE (1974) VALUES (1974; MeSH map = Social values) VENTILATORS Mechanical devices used to produce or assist pulmonary

ventilation (1974; MeSH map = Ventilators, mechanical)

VIABILITY The potential of the fetus to survive outside the uterus (1974; MeSH map = Fetal viability) VIOLENCE (1974; MeSH map = same) VIRTUES Character traits which are considered to be morally

praiseworthy (1976; MeSH map = Social values)

VOLUNTARY ADMISSION Entrance into a mental health facility at a person's request or with his or her consent

(1977; MeSH map = Patient admission)

VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA The killing of a patient who is suffering or is afflicted with an incurable disease or condition, for reasons of mercy, at that person's request or with his or her consent


VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS (1974) VOLUNTARY STERILIZATION Sterilization performed at the request of, or with the informed

consent of, the patient (1974; MeSH map = Sterilization, sexual)

VOLUNTEERS (1974; MeSH map = Voluntary workers) VULNERABLE POPULATIONS Groups of persons who may be compromised in their ability

to give informed consent or who are frequently subjected to coercion in their decision making

(1997)

WAR (1975; MeSH map = same) WEDGE ARGUMENT Ethical argument which asserts that one morally

questionable action or policy will set a precedent for, or lead (1974; MeSH map = Ethics)

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TERM SN NOTES to, other actions or policies which are even more morally questionable

WESTERN WORLD An inexact term historically applied to Europe and later also used to characterize other areas of the world whose cultural values and traditions are of European derivation


WHISTLEBLOWING The reporting of observed or suspected professional misconduct or incompetence to appropriate authorities or the public

(1996; MeSH map = Truth disclosure)

WHITES (1975; MeSH map = same) WHOOPING COUGH (1982; MeSH map = same) WITHHOLDING TREATMENT (1974) WOMEN'S HEALTH Physical and mental well-being of women (1994; MeSH map = same) WOMEN'S HEALTH SERVICES Organized services to provide health care to women (1994; MeSH map = same) WOMEN'S RIGHTS (1974; MeSH map = same) WRONGFUL DEATH In civil law, a death of a human being which is occasioned

by the negligent or wrongful act of another (1974; MeSH map = Homicide)

WRONGFUL LIFE In civil law, a cause of action which alleges that a defendant has wrongfully caused a child to be born


XYY KARYOTYPE An abnormal chromosome arrangement in males which is characterized by an extra Y chromosome


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Bioethics Glossary