Janice Firn, PhD, MSW, HEC-C

Clinical Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences
Chief, Ethics Education Service, Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine
Director, Predoctoral Clinical Ethics Fellowship, Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine
Accepting HILS PhD Students? Yes
Accepting PIBS Students? No
Michigan Research Experts

Administrative Contact

Amy Lynn (CBSSM), [email protected]

Biography

Dr. Janice Firn, a certified healthcare ethics consultant, is Clinical Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences (DLHS), and Clinical Ethicist and Ethics Education Chief with the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine (CBSSM) at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Firn has a BS from Michigan State University, MSW from the University of Michigan, and PhD from Lancaster University (UK). Before DLHS, Dr. Firn worked in oncology and palliative care at Michigan Medicine. In her current role, Dr. Firn responds to ethics consultation requests, facilitates proactive ethics rounds, provides interprofessional ethics education at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional level across the medical and academic campuses, and is involved in ethics, policy, and palliative care related research and quality improvement/quality assurance initiatives.

Dr. Firn teaches LHS 671: Ethics and Policy Issues in Learning Health Systems

Research and scholarly interests:

Dr. Firn’s research focuses on interprofessional education, collaboration, and decision making, and applied ethics. Her interests include clinical ethics with a focus on ethical issues in the ICU, palliative and end of life care, health policy, moral distress, and qualitative methods research.

Subject matter expertise:

Medical Education, Ethics, Ethics Consultation, Health Policy, Hospital Medicine, Intensive Care Units, Interprofessional Education, Palliative Care, Qualitative Research, Social Work, Trust

Other professional highlights:

    • Director, Predoctoral Clinical Ethics Fellowship University of Michigan Medical School
    • Faculty, Path of Excellence in Ethics University of Michigan Medical School
    • Editorial Board, BMC Palliative Care
    • Associate Editor, JBI Evidence Synthesis
    • Member, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Published Articles or Reviews

Selected publications: 

    • Kana LA, Feder KJ, Matusko N, Firn JI: Pediatric Interprofessional ICU Ethics Rounds: A Single-Center Study. Hosp Pediatr.11(4): 411-416, 04/2021. PM33722824. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33722824/(link is external)
    • Kana L, Shuman A, De Vries R, Firn J: Taking the burden off: a study of the quality of ethics consultation in the time of COVID-19. Journal of Medical Ethics.48(4): 244-249, 04/2022. PM33811113. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33811113/
    • Kang Y, Chao S, Battles A, Firn J: Clinical Ethics Consultation for Patients Impacted by Incarceration: A Single Center Retrospective Review. Journal of correctional health care, vol. 30,3 (2024): 198-205. PM38597931. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38597931/
    • Lyons S, Freigeh G, Matula K, Firn J: Liminal Space: A Retrospective Content Analysis of Ethics Consultation for Patients Aged 18-26. J Adolescent Health. S1054-139X(24)00241-6. 13 Jul. 2024. PM: 39007790. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39007790/
    • Sanders JJ, Temin S, Ghoshal A, Alesi ER, Ali ZV, Chauhan C, Cleary JF, Epstein AS, Firn JI, Jones JA, Litzow MR, Lundquist D, Mardones MA, Nipp RD, Rabow MW, Rosa WE, Zimmermann C, Ferrell BR: Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Jul 1;42(19):2336-2357. Epub 2024 May 15. PM: 38748941. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38748941/

A list of all publications can be found here.