Bioethics students explore moral issues of 'ER' drama

While NBC's ER attracts millions of viewers each week with its intriguing drama, captivating relationships and star-studded cast, the show also attempts to accurately present ethical dilemmas typical of the medical world. To inform people and initiate conversation about those issues, Penn's Center for Bioethics runs what is called the ER Project. Each week, a master's degree candidate in the center volunteers to research and write an essay based on the plot line of the show. After the show has aired, the essay is posted on the bioethics World Wide Web site at http://www.bioethics.net and available to anyone interested. "The ER Project is important for several reasons," said David Magnus, graduate studies director for the Center for Bioethics. "It has the potential to reach a broader audience with a subject that they are interested in and using that to teach them about the ethics of medical practice." Magnus -- who created the project along with Neil Baer, one of the producers of ER -- explained that the makers of the top-rated Thursday night drama pay close attention to the ethical issues the show's plot lines confront. "One of the most amazing things about this project," Magnus said, "has been the realization that many of the writers and producers of the show really care about getting the medicine right and recognize the potential of their show as a way to educate the public." And on rare occasions, the producers of the show actually consult Magnus for his bioethical viewpoint while an episode is being written. The show often deals with real-life issues that are prevalent in medicine. Recent essays have addressed such topics as patient confidentiality, substance abuse by pregnant women and sleep-deprived medical residents. Security of the plot is very important to the producers of the show. Several weeks before a show is scheduled to air, the producers of ER summarize the plot line for Magnus under the agreement that he will keep it confidential. Once a student volunteers to write an essay, Magnus supplies just enough information for to allow him or her to recognize the ethical dilemma, without giving away Thursday night's surprises. Researching and writing an essay is a big project for any student. Once students complete a rough draft, they work with an appropriate faculty member from the center to revise what they have written. Still, many consider it a great opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real issues. "I am contributing to raising public consciousness by giving people a concrete ethical framework for analyzing mundane issues," master's candidate Diana Harris said. Nadine Hackman, another graduate student affiliated with the center, wrote a recent essay based on issues raised on the November 4 episode. She addressed the importance of removing impaired professionals from medical professions and ensuring that practitioners are qualified to maintain their jobs. Because she also wrote the first essay to appear on the Web site, Hackman has had the opportunity to appear on a weekly talk show on WXTU 92.5 FM which airs Friday mornings after ER. While the purpose of the program is to talk about the characters and their relationships, Hackman encourages people to think about the ethical aspects of the show as well. "They always ask me for the dilemma and I get to plug the center's Web site," she said. And the connection between the show and the Center may soon become even closer. Magnus said he expects the center to create a link between its Web site and ER's in the near future.