Aasim Padela - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Aasim Padela

Qscience Proceedings, Jun 24, 2012

Zygon®, 2016

Muslim physicians and Islamic jurists analyze the moral dimensions of biomedicine using different... more Muslim physicians and Islamic jurists analyze the moral dimensions of biomedicine using different tools and processes. While the deliberations of these two classes of experts involve judgments about the deliverables of the other's respective fields, Islamic jurists and Muslim physicians rarely engage in discussions about the constructs and epistemic frameworks that motivate their analyses. The lack of dialogue creates gaps in knowledge and leads to imprecise guidance. In order to address these discursive and conceptual gaps we describe the sources of knowledge and reasoning employed by Islamic jurists and clinicians to resolve the question of when a patient must seek healthcare. As we examine both the scriptural evidence and legal reasoning of jurists and the types of medical evidence used by clinicians to address the same question, we draw attention to the epistemic frameworks and constructs at play and identify how constructs from one field may sharpen the deliberative exercises of the other. Hence our work advances discourses at the intersection of Islam and medicine and offers building blocks for a comprehensive Islamic framework that fully integrates the deliverables of medical science within the deliberations of Islamic jurists.

Psycho-oncology, Jan 17, 2016

Studies suggest that American Muslim women underutilize mammography. While religion has a strong ... more Studies suggest that American Muslim women underutilize mammography. While religion has a strong influence upon Muslim health behaviors scant research has examined how religion-related beliefs inform Muslim women's intention for mammography. Our study identifies and examines such beliefs. Muslim women aged 40 and older sampled from mosques participated in focus groups and individual interviews. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, interviews elicited salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs regarding mammography and the influence of Islam upon screening intention. Fifty women participated in 6 focus groups and 19 in semi-structured interviews, with near-equal numbers of African American, South Asian, and Arab Muslims. Forty-two percent of participants had not had a mammogram within the past two years. Across differences in race/ethnicity and mammography status women voiced four religion-related salient beliefs that inform mammography intention: (1) the perceive...

Medicine and Law, Sep 1, 2012

Islamic ethico-legal assessments of brain death are varied and controversial. Some Islamic ethico... more Islamic ethico-legal assessments of brain death are varied and controversial. Some Islamic ethico-legal bodies have concluded that brain death is equivalent to cardiopulmonary death; others regard it as an intermediate state between life and death, and a few opine that it does not meet the standards for legal death according to Islamic law. Yet this translation of the concept of brain death into the Islamic ethico-legal domain has generated multiple ethical complexities that receive insufficient attention within the extant medical and fiqh literature. How do Islamic legists understand brain death as a clinical phenomenon? How does the Islamic ethico-legal system treat medical uncertainty? What Islamic ethico-legal principles should apply to bioethical questions about life and death? In this paper, we analyze the arguments for, and against, the acceptance of brain death within the context of the deliberation of a representative juridical council. In our discussion we focus on areas in which the legists' ethico-legal reasoning hinges upon clinical conceptions of the state of the individual when diagnosed as brain dead. As Islamic ethics continues to engage scientific and technological advancements in these areas, such exploration of internal workings is necessary if we wish to better understand how Islamic ethical principles can contribute to bioethical deliberation.

Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care, 2016

Http Dx Doi Org 10 4161 Hv 6 9 12015, Sep 1, 2010

AJOB Empirical Bioethics, 2015

Background: Invidious discrimination is unreasonable and unethical. When directed against patient... more Background: Invidious discrimination is unreasonable and unethical. When directed against patients, such discrimination violates the respect for persons at the heart of bioethics. Might such discrimination also be directed at times toward physicians themselves? Studies of workplace discrimination have largely focused on race and gender, with few examining whether religious identity attracts discrimination. Muslim physicians from diverse backgrounds comprise 5% of the U.S. physician workforce and, given the sociopolitical climate, may face anti-Muslim discrimination in the workplace. We assessed the prevalence of perceived religious discrimination and its association with measures of religiosity through a national survey of American Muslim physicians. Methods: A questionnaire including measures of religiosity, perceived religious discrimination, religious accommodation at the workplace, and discrimination-related job turnover was mailed to 626 Islamic Medical Association of North America members at random in 2013. Results: Two hundred fifty-five physicians responded (41% response rate). Most were male (70%), South Asian (70%), and adult immigrants to the United States (65%). Nearly all (89%) considered Islam as the most or a very important part of their life, and most (63%) prayed five times daily; 24% reported experiencing religious discrimination frequently over their career, and 14% currently experience religious discrimination at work. After adjusting for personal and practice characteristics, respondents for whom religion was most important had greater odds of experiencing religious discrimination at their current workplace (OR 3.9, p < .01). Sixteen respondents reported job turnover due to religious discrimination, of whom 12 rated religion as the most important part of their life. Conclusions: A significant minority of Muslim clinicians experience religious discrimination at work, and particularly those for whom their religion is most important. Further research is needed to undergird data-driven programs and policies that might reduce invidious, religion-directed discrimination in the health care workplace.

Die Welt des Islams, 2015

This paper compares the discursive frames utilised by several national American Muslim organisati... more This paper compares the discursive frames utilised by several national American Muslim organisations to craft an “Islamic” argument for healthcare reform via an expansion of health insurance coverage in the United States with Islamic ethico-legal opinions (fatwas) of U.S.-based jurists regarding the permissibility of purchasing health insurance. I analyse the differing ways in which these producers of “Islamic bioethics” material ground their arguments and draw on vocabulary from other discourses. The paper closes by reflecting upon the socio-political undercurrents that may contribute to the differences and disconnections between the ways in which these bioethics stakeholders produce their outputs and by arguing that further developing the field of Islamic bioethics will require concerted multidisciplinary engagements that clarify the distinctive nature of Islamic norms.

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 13557858 2013 828829, May 15, 2014

Somali women are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Anxiety and perceived stigmatiz... more Somali women are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Anxiety and perceived stigmatization toward female genital cutting (FGC) further fuels an atmosphere of miscommunication and distrust, contributing to poorer health outcomes. While the attitudes and experiences of Somali refugee women toward healthcare are widely known, the views of Somali refugee men are largely unknown. This study examines the perspectives of Somali men toward FGC and women's childbirth experiences in one refugee community in the USA. Community-based participatory research partnerships with key stakeholders within the Somali refugee community incorporated qualitative methods comprising semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews to elicit male participants' perspectives on FGC, experiences during childbirth, and the perception of increased cesarean deliveries among Somali women. Qualitative analyses involved a framework and team-based approach using grounded theory and conventional content analysis. Acculturation influenced changes in traditional gender roles fostering new dynamics in shared decision-making within the household and during childbirth. Participants were aware of FGC-related morbidity, ongoing matriarchal support for FGC, and were generally not supportive of FGC. They perceived health-care providers as being unfamiliar with caring for women with FGC fueling profound aversion to cesarean deliveries, miscommunication, and distrust of the health-care system. Our work yields new insights into Somali reproductive healthcare through Somali men, namely: strong matriarchal support of FGC, discomfort in men's presence during delivery, and a strong aversion to cesarean delivery. Our findings support the need for advocacy to engage Somali women, their partners/spouses, and health-care providers in facilitating greater continuity of care, building greater trust as men become engaged throughout the spectrum of care in the decision-making process while respecting traditional norms. Cultural health navigators should bridge communication and support between providers and patients. Our work provides foundational knowledge to inform culturally appropriate health interventions within a Somali refugee community.

Journal of Religion and Health, 2016

American Journal of Public Health, Sep 20, 2011

We assessed the prevalence of perceived abuse and discrimination among Arab American adults after... more We assessed the prevalence of perceived abuse and discrimination among Arab American adults after September 11, 2001, and associations between abuse or discrimination and psychological distress, level of happiness, and health status. We gathered data from a face-to-face survey administered in 2003 to a representative, population-based sample of Arab American adults residing in the greater Detroit area. Overall, 25% of the respondents reported post-September 11 personal or familial abuse, and 15% reported that they personally had a bad experience related to their ethnicity, with higher rates among Muslims than Christians. After adjustment for socioeconomic and demographic factors, perceived post-September 11 abuse was associated with higher levels of psychological distress, lower levels of happiness, and worse health status. Personal bad experiences related to ethnicity were associated with increased psychological distress and reduced happiness. Perceptions of not being respected within US society and greater reported effects of September 11 with respect to personal security and safety were associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Perceived post-September 11 abuse and discrimination were associated with increased psychological distress, reduced levels of happiness, and worse health status in our sample. Community-based, culturally sensitive partnerships should be established to assess and meet the health needs of Arab Americans.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 2015

Background: While religious beliefs and values influence health behaviors, conventional health di... more Background: While religious beliefs and values influence health behaviors, conventional health disparities research rarely examines health outcomes by religious affiliation particularly within multi-ethnic minority communities. Methods: Using a systematic strategy we searched the Medline literature to identify empiric studies that report on health disparities between American Muslims and non-Muslim groups residing in America. In addition to use religious affiliation descriptors for Muslim groups we utilized geographic and ethnicity terms such as "South Asian" or "Pakistani" as proxy terms to help uncover studies of American Muslims. Results: 171 empirical studies were captured. South Asians and Arabs were the most commonly studied groups, and mental health was the most common studied health condition. The overwhelming majority of studies did not assess connections between the Islamic faith and health outcomes. Conclusion: Healthcare disparities among American Muslims remain under-investigated. The few empirical studies of American Muslim groups, or of ethnic groups with large numbers of Muslims, rarely examine relationships between Islam-related factors and health outcomes and thereby miss an opportunity to understand the relationships between religion and health disparities.

Academic Emergency Medicine, 2009

Although myomas shrink after menopause, the cellular mechanism for this phenomenon has received l... more Although myomas shrink after menopause, the cellular mechanism for this phenomenon has received little attention. It was recently demonstrated that fibrous degeneration is significantly associated with postmenopausal status in both small and large myomas. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether reduction in myoma cell size is also associated with postmenopausal status in small myomas. Tumor size and patient age have also been related to fibrous degeneration in small (<1 cm) myomas. Therefore, in the present study, 10 pairs of premenopausal and postmenopausal small myomas were matched within 3 years for patient age, within 1 mm for size, and within 1 grade for degree of fibrous degeneration. Most of the women were in their 50s, the decade during which postmenopausal fibrous degeneration in small myomas is most prevalent. Myoma cell size was derived by morphometric evaluation of relative myoma cell area (correcting for percentage of stroma, as measured by point counting) and by direct counting of the number of myoma cells per unit area in trichrome-stained sections. Small myomas from postmenopausal women had significantly (P <.05) smaller cell sizes than did size-matched myomas from age-matched premenopausal women. Myoma cell sizes and nucleus-cell (N/C) ratios were highly variable, especially in premenopausal myomas. Reduction in myoma cell size is significantly associated with postmenopausal status in small uterine leiomyomas and may be an important mechanism for postmenopausal shrinkage of myomas. In addition, the high variability of myoma cell size and N/C ratio may further support the somatic mutation theory (ie, the theory that diverse mutations may account not only for variations in the growth potential of uterine myomas, but also for variations in their cellular details).

Journal of religion and health, Jan 27, 2015

Physician religiosity can influence their ethical attitude toward medical procedures and can ther... more Physician religiosity can influence their ethical attitude toward medical procedures and can thereby impact healthcare delivery. Using a national survey of American Muslim physicians, we explored the association between physician recommendation of three controversial medical procedures-tubal ligation, abortion, and porcine-based vaccine-and their (1) religiosity, (2) utilization of bioethics resources, and (3) perception of whether the procedure was a medical necessity and if the scenario represented a life threat. Generally, multivariate models found that physicians who read the Qur'an more often as well as those who perceived medical necessity and/or life threat had a higher odds recommending the procedures, whereas those who sought Islamic bioethical guidance from Islamic jurists (or juridical councils) more often had a lower odds. These associations suggest that the bioethical framework of Muslim physicians is influenced by their reading of scripture, and the opinions of Isl...

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), Jan 24, 2015

To examine the associations between American Muslim physicians' characteristics and intended ... more To examine the associations between American Muslim physicians' characteristics and intended behaviors towards resuscitation of 22- and 23-weeks' gestation infants. This national survey of physician members of the Islamic Medical Association of North America inquired about physician religiosity, their practice of referring to Islamic resources for bioethical guidance, their preferred model of patient-doctor decision-making, and the perceived importance of quality-of-life determinations with respect to medical decision-making. Four vignettes described birth of a 22- and 23-weeks' gestation infant. Respondents were given estimated survival data for each and asked if they would attempt resuscitation. 255/626 responses received. 51% and 85% of respondents believed that a 22- and a 23-weeks' gestation infant should be resuscitated, respectively. If parents opposed resuscitation, 44% (22-weeks') and 46% (23 weeks') of respondents still endorsed resuscitating. Respo...

Qscience Proceedings, Jun 24, 2012

Zygon®, 2016

Muslim physicians and Islamic jurists analyze the moral dimensions of biomedicine using different... more Muslim physicians and Islamic jurists analyze the moral dimensions of biomedicine using different tools and processes. While the deliberations of these two classes of experts involve judgments about the deliverables of the other's respective fields, Islamic jurists and Muslim physicians rarely engage in discussions about the constructs and epistemic frameworks that motivate their analyses. The lack of dialogue creates gaps in knowledge and leads to imprecise guidance. In order to address these discursive and conceptual gaps we describe the sources of knowledge and reasoning employed by Islamic jurists and clinicians to resolve the question of when a patient must seek healthcare. As we examine both the scriptural evidence and legal reasoning of jurists and the types of medical evidence used by clinicians to address the same question, we draw attention to the epistemic frameworks and constructs at play and identify how constructs from one field may sharpen the deliberative exercises of the other. Hence our work advances discourses at the intersection of Islam and medicine and offers building blocks for a comprehensive Islamic framework that fully integrates the deliverables of medical science within the deliberations of Islamic jurists.

Psycho-oncology, Jan 17, 2016

Studies suggest that American Muslim women underutilize mammography. While religion has a strong ... more Studies suggest that American Muslim women underutilize mammography. While religion has a strong influence upon Muslim health behaviors scant research has examined how religion-related beliefs inform Muslim women's intention for mammography. Our study identifies and examines such beliefs. Muslim women aged 40 and older sampled from mosques participated in focus groups and individual interviews. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, interviews elicited salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs regarding mammography and the influence of Islam upon screening intention. Fifty women participated in 6 focus groups and 19 in semi-structured interviews, with near-equal numbers of African American, South Asian, and Arab Muslims. Forty-two percent of participants had not had a mammogram within the past two years. Across differences in race/ethnicity and mammography status women voiced four religion-related salient beliefs that inform mammography intention: (1) the perceive...

Medicine and Law, Sep 1, 2012

Islamic ethico-legal assessments of brain death are varied and controversial. Some Islamic ethico... more Islamic ethico-legal assessments of brain death are varied and controversial. Some Islamic ethico-legal bodies have concluded that brain death is equivalent to cardiopulmonary death; others regard it as an intermediate state between life and death, and a few opine that it does not meet the standards for legal death according to Islamic law. Yet this translation of the concept of brain death into the Islamic ethico-legal domain has generated multiple ethical complexities that receive insufficient attention within the extant medical and fiqh literature. How do Islamic legists understand brain death as a clinical phenomenon? How does the Islamic ethico-legal system treat medical uncertainty? What Islamic ethico-legal principles should apply to bioethical questions about life and death? In this paper, we analyze the arguments for, and against, the acceptance of brain death within the context of the deliberation of a representative juridical council. In our discussion we focus on areas in which the legists' ethico-legal reasoning hinges upon clinical conceptions of the state of the individual when diagnosed as brain dead. As Islamic ethics continues to engage scientific and technological advancements in these areas, such exploration of internal workings is necessary if we wish to better understand how Islamic ethical principles can contribute to bioethical deliberation.

Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care, 2016

Http Dx Doi Org 10 4161 Hv 6 9 12015, Sep 1, 2010

AJOB Empirical Bioethics, 2015

Background: Invidious discrimination is unreasonable and unethical. When directed against patient... more Background: Invidious discrimination is unreasonable and unethical. When directed against patients, such discrimination violates the respect for persons at the heart of bioethics. Might such discrimination also be directed at times toward physicians themselves? Studies of workplace discrimination have largely focused on race and gender, with few examining whether religious identity attracts discrimination. Muslim physicians from diverse backgrounds comprise 5% of the U.S. physician workforce and, given the sociopolitical climate, may face anti-Muslim discrimination in the workplace. We assessed the prevalence of perceived religious discrimination and its association with measures of religiosity through a national survey of American Muslim physicians. Methods: A questionnaire including measures of religiosity, perceived religious discrimination, religious accommodation at the workplace, and discrimination-related job turnover was mailed to 626 Islamic Medical Association of North America members at random in 2013. Results: Two hundred fifty-five physicians responded (41% response rate). Most were male (70%), South Asian (70%), and adult immigrants to the United States (65%). Nearly all (89%) considered Islam as the most or a very important part of their life, and most (63%) prayed five times daily; 24% reported experiencing religious discrimination frequently over their career, and 14% currently experience religious discrimination at work. After adjusting for personal and practice characteristics, respondents for whom religion was most important had greater odds of experiencing religious discrimination at their current workplace (OR 3.9, p < .01). Sixteen respondents reported job turnover due to religious discrimination, of whom 12 rated religion as the most important part of their life. Conclusions: A significant minority of Muslim clinicians experience religious discrimination at work, and particularly those for whom their religion is most important. Further research is needed to undergird data-driven programs and policies that might reduce invidious, religion-directed discrimination in the health care workplace.

Die Welt des Islams, 2015

This paper compares the discursive frames utilised by several national American Muslim organisati... more This paper compares the discursive frames utilised by several national American Muslim organisations to craft an “Islamic” argument for healthcare reform via an expansion of health insurance coverage in the United States with Islamic ethico-legal opinions (fatwas) of U.S.-based jurists regarding the permissibility of purchasing health insurance. I analyse the differing ways in which these producers of “Islamic bioethics” material ground their arguments and draw on vocabulary from other discourses. The paper closes by reflecting upon the socio-political undercurrents that may contribute to the differences and disconnections between the ways in which these bioethics stakeholders produce their outputs and by arguing that further developing the field of Islamic bioethics will require concerted multidisciplinary engagements that clarify the distinctive nature of Islamic norms.

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 13557858 2013 828829, May 15, 2014

Somali women are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Anxiety and perceived stigmatiz... more Somali women are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Anxiety and perceived stigmatization toward female genital cutting (FGC) further fuels an atmosphere of miscommunication and distrust, contributing to poorer health outcomes. While the attitudes and experiences of Somali refugee women toward healthcare are widely known, the views of Somali refugee men are largely unknown. This study examines the perspectives of Somali men toward FGC and women's childbirth experiences in one refugee community in the USA. Community-based participatory research partnerships with key stakeholders within the Somali refugee community incorporated qualitative methods comprising semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews to elicit male participants' perspectives on FGC, experiences during childbirth, and the perception of increased cesarean deliveries among Somali women. Qualitative analyses involved a framework and team-based approach using grounded theory and conventional content analysis. Acculturation influenced changes in traditional gender roles fostering new dynamics in shared decision-making within the household and during childbirth. Participants were aware of FGC-related morbidity, ongoing matriarchal support for FGC, and were generally not supportive of FGC. They perceived health-care providers as being unfamiliar with caring for women with FGC fueling profound aversion to cesarean deliveries, miscommunication, and distrust of the health-care system. Our work yields new insights into Somali reproductive healthcare through Somali men, namely: strong matriarchal support of FGC, discomfort in men's presence during delivery, and a strong aversion to cesarean delivery. Our findings support the need for advocacy to engage Somali women, their partners/spouses, and health-care providers in facilitating greater continuity of care, building greater trust as men become engaged throughout the spectrum of care in the decision-making process while respecting traditional norms. Cultural health navigators should bridge communication and support between providers and patients. Our work provides foundational knowledge to inform culturally appropriate health interventions within a Somali refugee community.

Journal of Religion and Health, 2016

American Journal of Public Health, Sep 20, 2011

We assessed the prevalence of perceived abuse and discrimination among Arab American adults after... more We assessed the prevalence of perceived abuse and discrimination among Arab American adults after September 11, 2001, and associations between abuse or discrimination and psychological distress, level of happiness, and health status. We gathered data from a face-to-face survey administered in 2003 to a representative, population-based sample of Arab American adults residing in the greater Detroit area. Overall, 25% of the respondents reported post-September 11 personal or familial abuse, and 15% reported that they personally had a bad experience related to their ethnicity, with higher rates among Muslims than Christians. After adjustment for socioeconomic and demographic factors, perceived post-September 11 abuse was associated with higher levels of psychological distress, lower levels of happiness, and worse health status. Personal bad experiences related to ethnicity were associated with increased psychological distress and reduced happiness. Perceptions of not being respected within US society and greater reported effects of September 11 with respect to personal security and safety were associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Perceived post-September 11 abuse and discrimination were associated with increased psychological distress, reduced levels of happiness, and worse health status in our sample. Community-based, culturally sensitive partnerships should be established to assess and meet the health needs of Arab Americans.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 2015

Background: While religious beliefs and values influence health behaviors, conventional health di... more Background: While religious beliefs and values influence health behaviors, conventional health disparities research rarely examines health outcomes by religious affiliation particularly within multi-ethnic minority communities. Methods: Using a systematic strategy we searched the Medline literature to identify empiric studies that report on health disparities between American Muslims and non-Muslim groups residing in America. In addition to use religious affiliation descriptors for Muslim groups we utilized geographic and ethnicity terms such as "South Asian" or "Pakistani" as proxy terms to help uncover studies of American Muslims. Results: 171 empirical studies were captured. South Asians and Arabs were the most commonly studied groups, and mental health was the most common studied health condition. The overwhelming majority of studies did not assess connections between the Islamic faith and health outcomes. Conclusion: Healthcare disparities among American Muslims remain under-investigated. The few empirical studies of American Muslim groups, or of ethnic groups with large numbers of Muslims, rarely examine relationships between Islam-related factors and health outcomes and thereby miss an opportunity to understand the relationships between religion and health disparities.

Academic Emergency Medicine, 2009

Although myomas shrink after menopause, the cellular mechanism for this phenomenon has received l... more Although myomas shrink after menopause, the cellular mechanism for this phenomenon has received little attention. It was recently demonstrated that fibrous degeneration is significantly associated with postmenopausal status in both small and large myomas. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether reduction in myoma cell size is also associated with postmenopausal status in small myomas. Tumor size and patient age have also been related to fibrous degeneration in small (<1 cm) myomas. Therefore, in the present study, 10 pairs of premenopausal and postmenopausal small myomas were matched within 3 years for patient age, within 1 mm for size, and within 1 grade for degree of fibrous degeneration. Most of the women were in their 50s, the decade during which postmenopausal fibrous degeneration in small myomas is most prevalent. Myoma cell size was derived by morphometric evaluation of relative myoma cell area (correcting for percentage of stroma, as measured by point counting) and by direct counting of the number of myoma cells per unit area in trichrome-stained sections. Small myomas from postmenopausal women had significantly (P <.05) smaller cell sizes than did size-matched myomas from age-matched premenopausal women. Myoma cell sizes and nucleus-cell (N/C) ratios were highly variable, especially in premenopausal myomas. Reduction in myoma cell size is significantly associated with postmenopausal status in small uterine leiomyomas and may be an important mechanism for postmenopausal shrinkage of myomas. In addition, the high variability of myoma cell size and N/C ratio may further support the somatic mutation theory (ie, the theory that diverse mutations may account not only for variations in the growth potential of uterine myomas, but also for variations in their cellular details).

Journal of religion and health, Jan 27, 2015

Physician religiosity can influence their ethical attitude toward medical procedures and can ther... more Physician religiosity can influence their ethical attitude toward medical procedures and can thereby impact healthcare delivery. Using a national survey of American Muslim physicians, we explored the association between physician recommendation of three controversial medical procedures-tubal ligation, abortion, and porcine-based vaccine-and their (1) religiosity, (2) utilization of bioethics resources, and (3) perception of whether the procedure was a medical necessity and if the scenario represented a life threat. Generally, multivariate models found that physicians who read the Qur'an more often as well as those who perceived medical necessity and/or life threat had a higher odds recommending the procedures, whereas those who sought Islamic bioethical guidance from Islamic jurists (or juridical councils) more often had a lower odds. These associations suggest that the bioethical framework of Muslim physicians is influenced by their reading of scripture, and the opinions of Isl...

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), Jan 24, 2015

To examine the associations between American Muslim physicians' characteristics and intended ... more To examine the associations between American Muslim physicians' characteristics and intended behaviors towards resuscitation of 22- and 23-weeks' gestation infants. This national survey of physician members of the Islamic Medical Association of North America inquired about physician religiosity, their practice of referring to Islamic resources for bioethical guidance, their preferred model of patient-doctor decision-making, and the perceived importance of quality-of-life determinations with respect to medical decision-making. Four vignettes described birth of a 22- and 23-weeks' gestation infant. Respondents were given estimated survival data for each and asked if they would attempt resuscitation. 255/626 responses received. 51% and 85% of respondents believed that a 22- and a 23-weeks' gestation infant should be resuscitated, respectively. If parents opposed resuscitation, 44% (22-weeks') and 46% (23 weeks') of respondents still endorsed resuscitating. Respo...