HOYA 2 Oct/Nov Article
Our 2nd Community Health bulletin board this month is related to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The ladies did a great job grabbing everyone’s attention as they walk into the building again. Most people know how breast cancer affects our female population, but not everyone realizes how important this subject is even for our younger population, male and female. HOYA II encourages everyone to “CHECK YOUR BOObies”
In October as students delved deeper into professional ethics they were shocked and appalled at some of the clinical research trials that occurred in the United States throughout history. The Milgram Experiment, MK Ultra, Midnight Climax, Stanford Prison Experiment, Jewish Chronic disease trials, UCLA Schizophrenia Experiment, San Quentin Prison Experiment, Tuskegee, The Monkey Drug Trials, and Elizabeth Loftus’ Lost in the Mall were the ten trials that students discussed.
We then discussed some additional research trials that have occurred in more recent years such as one in 2004 where HIV/Aids medications were given to foster infants and children; some as young as 3 days old and some who did not have HIV or Aids. These medications already had black box warnings. Black box warnings are the FDA’s most stringent warning for drugs and medical devices on the market. Black box warnings, or boxed warnings, alert the public and health care providers to serious side effects, such as injury or death. The FDA requires drug companies to add a warning label to medications that have a black box warning.
The FDA uses boxed warnings to highlight risks in the following situations:
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If evidence shows a drug causes a serious adverse reaction — potentially fatal, life-threatening or permanently disabling — where the risks might outweigh the benefits
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A serious side effect can be avoided or reduced in severity or frequency by appropriate use of the drug, such as avoiding use in specific situations, observing patients, careful patient selection or avoiding using the drug with certain medications
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The FDA approved the drug only for restricted use to ensure public safety
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The drug is less effective or dangerous to certain populations such as the elderly, children or pregnant women
Students found that throughout history questionable clinical research trials utilized vulnerable populations to complete their experiments even though medical professionals are bound by ethics of non-maleficence and beneficence which mean do no harm and promote good.
We learned more about the Illinois POLST form (Physician’s Order Form for Life Sustaining Treatment), Power Attorney for Healthcare, and Organ Donation. We discussed when POA for Healthcare actually comes into play and the importance of making wise decisions for choosing the correct person for your POA.
Students also studied cultural competence and how it can influence healthcare. Culture can determine how a patient views medications, touch, physical space, what they see as wellness and health prevention, dietary needs, pain control, as well as beliefs during pregnancy. Did you know there are yin and yang foods in some cultures? Or that because there is alcohol in many cough syrups that some cultures won’t take cough syrup because alcohol is taboo? Or who has heard that reaching above your hand above your head while pregnant will cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby’s neck?
This month we will be working on beginning our professional portfolios which will include resumes, personal statements, and college choice research papers as we study employability and career development along with academic foundations.