East Fee Hall
965 Fee Rd, East Lansing, MI 48825
USA
This event is presented by the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences.
Professor Reshma Jagsi, Department of Radiation Oncology, Director of Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School
Ethical Issues Related to Fundraising from Grateful Patients
Healthcare institutions are becoming increasingly deliberate about philanthropic fundraising given the need to sustain their missions in the face of decreases in governmental research funds and lowering reimbursement for clinical care. Donations from grateful patients constitute 20% of all philanthropic contributions to academic medical centers, totaling nearly $1 billion a year in recent years. Little evidence exists to guide the ethical practice of grateful patient fundraising, and concerns exist regarding privacy and confidentiality, patient vulnerability, and physicians’ conflicts of obligations in this context.