Episode Details

Prior to becoming an anesthesiologist, Alyssa Burgart trained in bioethics. She now counts herself among a growing number of certified clinical bioethicists who help doctors, nurses, patients, and their families handle ethically complex medical decisions at the bedside. Bioethicists are critical to care, Burgart argues, helping patients facing difficult choices to clarify personal values and weigh a complex array of risks and benefits, as well as emotions and familial, cultural, and religious norms. While much of her work is in pediatrics and maternal-fetal cases, she also studies how moral distress and moral injury impact clinicians, contributing to burnout among doctors and nurses. Having a strong ethical community brings resilience to these challenging environments, Burgart tells host Russ Altman in this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

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Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Alyssa Burgart

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Alyssa Burgart, a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative pain at Stanford University.

(00:03:16) Path into Bioethics & Anesthesiology

How Burgart became a bioethicist and then chose anesthesiology.

(00:05:18) What Bioethics Means

How bioethics helps connect medical decisions to values, risks, and benefits.

(00:07:03) Making Hard Decisions Manageable

How ethics consultation helps clinicians act with integrity.

(00:08:33) Ethics Consults

A detailed explanation of hospital ethics services 

(00:12:23) Pediatric Ethics

Examples of Dr. Burgart’s work with children, families, and clinicians

(00:15:45) Culture, Faith, and Trust

Navigating cultural and religious differences as a bioethicist.

(00:17:57) Family Decision-Making

How ethics consultants help families and care teams honor a patient’s voice.

(00:21:55) Moral Injury

What is moral injury and how do clinicians specifically experience it?

(00:24:52) Institutional Betrayal

Why barriers like policies, laws, and denied approvals can create moral strain.

(00:26:37) Moral Distress

What is moral distress and how does it manifest itself in healthcare.

(00:28:28)