Research summary
The practice of medicine relies in many ways on information gathered from clinical research and trials. But how do physicians navigate areas of care where clinical evidence doesn’t exist, is considered ambiguous, or does not play a key role in decision-making? How do they help their patients make decisions about medically complex issues?
As Canada Research Chair in Ethical Complexity in Primary Care, Dr. Meredith Vanstone aims both to improve patients’ experiences and help clinicians. She and her research team are trying to shed light on how circumstances, resources and values inform the way pregnant people navigate ethically complex decisions about reproduction. She and her research team are approaching these goals by describing and developing educational and policy interventions to help primary care clinicians navigate complex ethical issues. Ultimately, their work will offer greater clarity to physicians and may translate into better care for patients.