This recorded webinar examines ethical concerns related to the practice of evidence-based obstetric care in the pandemic setting. Specifically, we explore ethical challenges related to a dearth of evidence and emerging but limited understanding of COVID-19 diagnosis or management during pregnancy and breastfeeding. We also consider the ethical dimensions of pandemic-related changes to ambulatory health care delivery for prenatal and postpartum populations, such as implementation of telemedicine and decreases in ultrasound and Doppler fetal surveillance. Further, we will discuss the distinct burdens of applying hospital infection prevention and control to inpatient obstetric settings, including COVID screening/testing, visitor restrictions, PPE requirements, and potential separation of mothers and infants. We explore in all cases the troubling propensity for the pandemic practice and policy responses to favor moral panic over judicious risk/benefit assessments and to exacerbate underlying disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes.
**Instructions to access the recording will be provided after you register.**
Target Audience
This presentation is appropriate for public health and clinical professionals, attorneys, researchers, students, and others interested in learning more about pandemic preparedness.
Facilitator
Lisa S. Parker, PhD
Instructor
Marielle Gross, MD, MA is Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh, Gross was a Hecht-Levi Postdoctoral Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Her research has focused on the application of technology and elimination of bias in women’s healthcare, as well as ethical and legal protections for data use in healthcare research. She is particularly interested in prejudicial policies and practices that affect underserved women, such as those living with HIV, hepatitis, or substance use. She received the Williams Senior Resident Research Award in 2017 for her article “Breastfeeding Policy for U.S. Women Living with HIV: An Ethical Analysis of the Evidence,” which was published in The Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. Gross is also a practicing OB/GYN physician.
Technology Requirements
This recorded webinar is presented through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A computer with high-speed internet connection and the ability to download and run this platform is required.
Creation Date
This training was recorded July 21, 2020.
For more information about this course or assistance with registration, contact us at marphtc@pitt.edu.