Ethics and Health Policy

The Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine continues to contribute to the development and implementation of ethical principles, public policies, and best practices related to the conduct of medical practice and research. Edward Lowenstein, MD, the Henry Isaiah Dorr Distinguished Professor of Research and Teaching in Anesthetics and Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, is chairman of the study of ethics, policy and health services research at DACCPM. He studies ethics and care related to the end of life and mentors first- and third-year Harvard Medical School students. Greg Koski, MD, is involved in ongoing efforts to promote responsible human research and protections of the rights, safety and well-being of human research participants. Eric Campbell and Joel Weissman at Massachusetts General Hospital's Institute for Health Policy assist Dr. Koski with research in two areas: a national survey of members of institutional review boards (IRBs) regarding their financial relationships and conflicts of interests, and research into clinical trial participants (EPIC), particularly those of research volunteers.