Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyThis is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

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Short literature noticesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Short Literature NoticesDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9228-5Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - November 4, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Books receivedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Books ReceivedDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9229-4Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - November 2, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Making sense of risk. Donor risk communication in families considering living liverdonation to a childEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, we suggest further research questions on how professional responsibility and role-taking in risk communication should be morally understood. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Scientific ContributionDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9226-7Authors Mare Knibbe, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Department of Health Sciences Expert Center Ethics of Care, 9700 RB Groningen The NetherlandsMarian Verkerk, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Department of Health Sciences Expert Center Ethics of Care, 9700 RB Groningen The Netherlands Journal Medicine, Health C...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - October 31, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Informed decision making about predictive DNA tests: arguments for more public visibility of personal deliberations about the good lifeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Since its advent, predictive DNA testing has been perceived as a technology that may have considerable impact on the quality of people’s life. The decision whether or not to use this technology is up to the individual client. However, to enable well considered decision making both the negative as well as the positive freedom of the individual should be supported. In this paper, we argue that current professional and public discourse on predictive DNA-testing is lacking when it comes to supporting positive freedom, because it is usually framed in terms of risk and risk management. We show how this ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - October 30, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Conceptual analysis and empirical research in medical philosophy and medical ethicsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EditorialDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9225-8Authors Wim Dekkers, UMC St Radboud Nijmegen 114 IQ Healthcare, Section Ethics PO Box 9101 6500 HB Nijmegen The NetherlandsBert Gordijn, UMC St Radboud Nijmegen 114 IQ Healthcare, Section Ethics PO Box 9101 6500 HB Nijmegen The Netherlands Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - October 15, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Molecular medicine and concepts of disease: the ethical value of a conceptual analysis of emerging biomedical technologiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article argues that it is useful to start with an analysis of implied concepts of disease when anticipating ethical issues of biomedical technologies. It shows, moreover, that it is possible to do so at an early stage, i.e. when a technology is only just emerging. The specific case analysed here is that of ‘molecular medicine’. This group of emerging technologies combines a ‘cascade model’ of disease processes with a ‘personal pattern’ model of bodily functioning. Whereas the ethical implications of the first are partly familiar from earlier—albeit controversial—forms of preventive and predictive ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - September 24, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Problems faced with legislating for IVF technology in a Roman Catholic CountryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article examines what caused the deterioration of the process and points favourably towards a way forward within the context of a Catholic Country. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Scientific ContributionDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9224-9Authors Pierre Mallia, University of Malta Bioethics, Family Medicine and Patient’s Rights, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Msida Malta Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - September 18, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Books receivedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Books ReceivedDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9222-yAuthors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - September 16, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Ethics and regulationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EDITORIALDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9221-zAuthors Bert Gordijn, Dublin City University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Henry Grattan Building, Office No: C163 Glasnevin, Dublin 9 IrelandWim Dekkers, Dublin City University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Henry Grattan Building, Office No: C163 Glasnevin, Dublin 9 Ireland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 Journal Volume Volume 12 Journal Issue Volume 12, Number 4 / November, 2009 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - September 16, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

How to reveal disguised paternalismEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract In a Swedish setting physicians are unlikely to give explicitly paternalistic reasons when asked about their attitudes towards patients’ involvement in decision-making. There is considerable risk that they will disguise their paternalism by giving ‘socially correct answers’. We suggest that disguised paternalism can be revealed with the help of indexes based on certain responses in postal questionnaires. The indexes were developed using material from a study examining attitudes of Swedish physicians to physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Apart from being asked about their attitudes, they were as...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - August 12, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Humanized birth in high risk pregnancy: barriers and facilitating factorsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The medical model of childbearing assumes that a pregnancy always has the potential to turn into a risky procedure. In order to advocate humanized birth in high risk pregnancy, an important step involves the enlightenment of the professional’s preconceptions on humanized birth in such a situation. The goal of this paper is to identify the professionals’ perception of the potential obstacles and facilitating factors for the implementation of humanized care in high risk pregnancies. Twenty-one midwives, obstetricians, and health administrator professionals from the clinical and academic fields wer...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - August 11, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Short literature noticesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory SHORT LITERATURE NOTICESDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9219-6 Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - August 11, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Diversity and uniformity in genetic responsibility: moral attitudes of patients, relatives and lay people in Germany and IsraelEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The professional and institutional responsibility for handling genetic knowledge is well discussed; less attention has been paid to how lay people and particularly people who are affected by genetic diseases perceive and frame such responsibilities. In this exploratory study we qualitatively examine the attitudes of lay people, patients and relatives of patients in Germany and Israel towards genetic testing. These attitudes are further examined in the national context of Germany and Israel, which represent opposite regulatory approaches and bioethical debates concerning genetic testing. Three major ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - July 25, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The operationalisation of religion and world view in surveys of nurses’ attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicideEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Most quantitative studies that survey nurses’ attitudes toward euthanasia and/or assisted suicide, also attempt to assess the influence of religion on these attitudes. We wanted to evaluate the operationalisation of religion and world view in these surveys. In the Pubmed database we searched for relevant articles published before August 2008 using combinations of search terms. Twenty-eight relevant articles were found. In five surveys nurses were directly asked whether religious beliefs, religious practices and/or ideological convictions influenced their attitudes, or the respondents were requeste...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - July 25, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Telepsychiatry and the meaning of in-person contact: a preliminary ethical appraisalEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Pioneering researchers claim that telepsychiatry presents the possibility of improving both the quality and quantity of patient care for populations in general as well as for those in rural and remote locations. The prevalence of, and literature on telepsychiatry has increased dramatically in the last decade, covering all aspects of research endeavors. However, little can be found on the topic of ethics in telepsychiatry. Using various clinical scenarios we may provide insight into the moral challenge in telepsychiatry—the lack of in-person contact. The difficulty is to articulate what the signifi...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - July 25, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Is tissue engineering a new paradigm in medicine? Consequences for the ethical evaluation of tissue engineering researchEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Ex-vivo tissue engineering is a quickly developing medical technology aiming to regenerate tissue through the introduction of an ex-vivo created tissue construct instead of restoring the damaged tissue to some level of functionality. Tissue engineering is considered by some as a new medical paradigm. We analyse this claim and identify tissue engineering’s fundamental characteristics, focusing on the aim of the intervention and on the complexity and continuity of the process. We inquire how these features have an impact not only on the scientific research itself but also on the ethical evaluation o...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - July 25, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Refining deliberation in bioethicsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The multidisciplinary provenance of bioethics leads to a variety of discursive styles and ways of reasoning, making the discipline vulnerable to criticism and unwieldy to the setting of solid theoretical foundations. Applied ethics belongs to a group of disciplines that resort to deliberation rather than formal argumentation, therefore employing both factual and value propositions, as well as emotions, intuitions and other non logical elements. Deliberation is thus enriched to the point where ethical discourse becomes substantial rather than purely analytical. Caution must be exercised to avoid this...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - July 22, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Brain death, states of impaired consciousness, and physician-assisted death for end-of-life organ donation and transplantationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9213-zAuthors Joseph L. Verheijde, Arizona State University Bioethics, Policy, and Law Program 300 East University Drive Tempe AZ 85287 USAMohamed Y. Rady, Arizona State University Bioethics, Policy, and Law Program 300 East University Drive Tempe AZ 85287 USAJoan L. McGregor, Arizona State University Department of Philosophy 300 East University Drive Tempe AZ 85287 USA Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 30, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Perceptions of the effectiveness of ethical guidelines: an international study of physiciansEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The intent of ethics is to establish a set of standards that will provide a framework to modify, regulate, and possibly enhance moral behaviour. Eleven focus groups were conducted with physicians from six culturally distinct countries to explore their perception of formalized, written ethical guidelines (i.e., codes of ethics, credos, value and mission statements) that attempt to direct their ethical practice. Six themes emerged from the data: lack of awareness, no impact, marginal impact, other codes or value statements supersede, personal codes or values dictate, and ethical guidelines are useful....
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 22, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

An organizational perspective on ethics as a form of regulationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract In this paper we propose a theoretical framework for analysing the history and function of ethics as a form of regulation. Ethics in the form of codes, rules and declarations, constitutes regulatory policies, and we wish to suggest analysing such policies from an organizational perspective. In many instances ethics policies are reactions to particular events involving harm of patients or research participants. As such they seem to come forward as solutions to specific problems. However, not all such events that instigate the making of new policies, and policies often have other effects and are used ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 19, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Exploring the similarities and differences between medical assessments of competence and criminal responsibilityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The medical assessments of criminal responsibility and competence to consent to treatment are performed, developed and debated in distinct domains. In this paper I try to connect these domains by exploring the similarities and differences between both assessments. In my view, in both assessments a decision-making process is evaluated in relation to the possible influence of a mental disorder on this process. I will argue that, in spite of the relevance of the differences, both practices could benefit from the recognition of this similarity. For cooperative research could be developed directed at elu...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 11, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

From notions of health to causalityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EditorialDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9207-xAuthors Wim Dekkers, UMC St Radboud Nijmegen, 114 IQ Healthcare, Section Ethics PO Box 9101 6500 Nijmegen HB The NetherlandsBert Gordijn, UMC St Radboud Nijmegen, 114 IQ Healthcare, Section Ethics PO Box 9101 6500 Nijmegen HB The Netherlands Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 Journal Volume Volume 12 Journal Issue Volume 12, Number 3 / August, 2009 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 10, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Health technology assessment (HTA): ethical aspectsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract “HTA is a multidisciplinary process that summarizes information about the medical, social, economic and ethical issues related to the use of a health technology in a systematic, transparent, unbiased, robust manner. Its aim is to inform the formulation of safe, effective, health policies that are patient focused, and seek to achieve best value” (EUnetHTA 2007). Even though the assessment of ethical aspects of a health technology is listed as one of the objectives of a HTA process, in practice, the integration of these dimensions into reports remains limited. The article is focused on four points:...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 9, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Books receivedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Books ReceivedDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9208-9Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 Journal Volume Volume 12 Journal Issue Volume 12, Number 3 / August, 2009 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - June 9, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Short literature noticesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Short Literature NoticesDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9209-8Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - May 31, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Nozick’s Experience Machine and palliative care: revisiting hedonismEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract In refutation of hedonism, Nozick offered a hypothetical thought experiment, known as the Experience Machine. This paper maintains that end-of-life-suffering of the kind that is resistant to state-of-the-art palliation provides a conceptually equal experiment which validates Nozick’s observations and conclusions. The observation that very many terminal patients who suffer terribly do no wish for euthanasia or terminal sedation is incompatible with motivational hedonism. Although irreversible vegetative state and death are equivalently pain-free, very many people loath the former even at the price ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - May 16, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Brain death, states of impaired consciousness, and physician-assisted death for end-of-life organ donation and transplantationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract In 1968, the Harvard criteria equated irreversible coma and apnea (i.e., brain death) with human death and later, the Uniform Determination of Death Act was enacted permitting organ procurement from heart-beating donors. Since then, clinical studies have defined a spectrum of states of impaired consciousness in human beings: coma, akinetic mutism (locked-in syndrome), minimally conscious state, vegetative state and brain death. In this article, we argue against the validity of the Harvard criteria for equating brain death with human death. (1) Brain death does not disrupt somatic integrative unity a...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - May 13, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

“It’s intense, you know.” Nurses’ experiences in caring for patients requesting euthanasiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The Belgian Act on Euthanasia came into force on 23 September 2002, making Belgium the second country—after the Netherlands—to decriminalize euthanasia under certain due-care conditions. Since then, Belgian nurses have been increasingly involved in euthanasia care. In this paper, we report a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with 18 nurses from Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) who have had experience in caring for patients requesting euthanasia since May 2002 (the approval of the Act). We found that the care process for patients requesting euthanasia is a complex and dy...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - April 21, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Short literature noticesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Short Literature NoticesDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9202-2Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 27, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Informed consent: between waiver and excellence in responsible deliberationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Review ArticleDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9200-4Authors Y. Michael Barilan, Tel Aviv University Department of Medical Education, Sackler Faculty of Medicine Ramat Aviv Israel Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 24, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Books receivedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Announcement/Books ReceivedDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9201-3Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 20, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Towards self-determination in quality of life research: a dialogic approachEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Health-related quality of life measures aim to assess patients’ subjective experience in order to gauge an increasingly wide variety of health care issues such as patient needs; satisfaction; side effects; quality of care; disease progression and cost effectiveness. Their popularity is undoubtedly due to a larger initiative to provide patient-centered care. The use of patient perspectives to guide health care improvements and spending is rooted in the idea that we must respect patients as self-determining agents. In this paper I look at the two main orientations to quality of life measurement: sta...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 11, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The concept of disease—vague, complex, or just indefinable?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article discusses three claims about the concept of disease: that it is vague, complex, and that it is indefinable. It investigates (a) what is meant by these claims (b) what their implications are, and (c) whether the claims are sound or not. It is argued that some of the arguments are flawed and miss important points about concept analysis. This does not mean, however, that disease is a clear concept with a crisp definition. It only rules out speculative claims that disease necessarily is vague, complex, and indefinable. It appears at least as hard to show that disease is indefinable as it is to define it. C...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 7, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The question of futility and Roger C. BoneEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Medical futility, one of the most debated end-of-life issues in medical ethics, has been discussed among physicians and scholars for years but remained an unresolved question. Roger C. Bone (1941–1997), an outstanding pulmonologist and critical care specialist, devoted his last years to ethical issues of terminal care, while facing himself metastatic renal cancer. Criticising the abuse of technology in terminal care and the administrative and financial interference on medical decisions, he bequeathed important points on futility, bringing also patients’ views into attention. He stressed the impo...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 4, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Medical technologies and the life world: an introduction to the themeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EditorialDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9197-8Authors Fredrik Svenaeus, Södertörn University College Centre for Studies in Practical Knowledge, Department of Philosophy 141 89 Huddinge Sweden Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - March 4, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Genomics and identity: the bioinformatisation of human lifeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article explores how genomics and bioinformation, by influencing research agendas in the human sciences and the humanities, are affecting our self-image, our identity, the way we see ourselves. The impact of bioinformation on self-understanding will be assessed on three levels: (1) the collective level (the impact of comparative genomics on our understanding of human beings as a species), (2) the individual level (the impact of behavioural genomics on our understanding of ourselves as individuals), and (3) the genealogical level (the impact of population genomics on our understanding of human history, notably early ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 26, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The ethics of self-change: becoming oneself by way of antidepressants or psychotherapy?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract This paper explores the differences between bringing about self-change by way of antidepressants versus psychotherapy from an ethical point of view, taking its starting point in the concept of authenticity. Given that the new antidepressants (SSRIs) are able not only to cure psychiatric disorders but also to bring about changes in the basic temperament structure of the person—changes in self-feeling—does it matter if one brings about such changes of the self by way of antidepressants or by way of psychotherapy? Are antidepressants a less good alternative than psychotherapy because antidepressant...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 25, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Some comments on the substituted judgement standardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract On a traditional interpretation of the substituted judgement standard (SJS) a person who makes treatment decisions on behalf of a non-competent patient (e.g. concerning euthanasia) ought to decide as the patient would have decided had she been competent. I propose an alternative interpretation of SJS in which the surrogate is required to infer what the patient actually thought about these end-of-life decisions. In clarifying SJS it is also important to differentiate the patient’s consent and preference. If SJS is part of an autonomy ideal of the sort found in Kantian ethics, consent seems more impo...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 21, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The silencing of Kierkegaard in Habermas’ critique of genetic enhancementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to draw attention to an important part of Habermas’ critique of genetic enhancement, which has been largely ignored in the discussion; namely his use of Kierkegaard’s reflections on the existential conditions for becoming one-self from Either/or and the Sickness unto Death. It will be argued that, although Habermas presents some valuable and highly significant perspectives on the effect of genetic enhancement on the individual’s self-understanding and ability to experience him- or herself as a free and equal individual, he does not succeed in working out a cons...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 21, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Human nature, medicine & health careEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EditorialDOI 10.1007/s11019-009-9189-8Authors Bert Gordijn, Dublin City University Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Ethics Institute Dublin 9 The NetherlandsWim Dekkers, Dublin City University Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Ethics Institute Dublin 9 The Netherlands Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 20, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Self and other in global bioethics: critical hermeneutics and the example of different death conceptsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Our approach to global bioethics will depend, among other things, on how we answer the questions whether global bioethics is possible and whether it, if it is possible, is desirable. Our approach to global bioethics will also vary depending on whether we believe that the required bioethical deliberation should take as its principal point of departure that which we have in common or that which we have in common and that on which we differ. The aim of this article is to elaborate a theoretical underpinning for a bioethics that acknowledges the diversity of traditions and experiences without leading to...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 19, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Epidemiology and causationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Epidemiologists’ discussions on causation are not always very enlightening with regard to the notion of ‘cause’ in epidemiology. Epidemiologists rightly work from a science-based approach to causation in epidemiology, but largely disagree about the matter. Disagreement may be partly due to confusion of the question of useful concepts for causal inference in epidemiological practice with the question of the metaphysical presuppositions of causal concepts used in epidemiology. In other words, epidemiologists seem to confuse the practical results of epidemiological research at the population leve...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 15, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The hermeneutic challenge of genetic engineering: Habermas and the transhumanistsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that developments in transhumanist technologies may have upon human cultures (and thus upon the lifeworld), and to do so by exploring a potential debate between Habermas and the transhumanists. Transhumanists, such as Nick Bostrom, typically see the potential in genetic and other technologies for positively expanding and transcending human nature. In contrast, Habermas is a representative of those who are fearful of this technology, suggesting that it will compound the deleterious effects of the colonisation of the lifeworld, further constraining hu...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 15, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Causal criteria and the problem of complex causationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Nancy Cartwright begins her recent book, Hunting Causes and Using Them, by noting that while a few years ago real causal claims were in dispute, nowadays “causality is back, and with a vengeance.” In the case of the social sciences, Keith Morrison writes that “Social science asks ‘why?’. Detecting causality or its corollary—prediction—is the jewel in the crown of social science research.” With respect to the health sciences, Judea Pearl writes that the “research questions that motivate most studies in the health sciences are causal in nature.” However, not all data used by people ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 14, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Under the pretence of autonomy: contradictions in the guidelines for human tissue donationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract The paper concerns the uncertainty in current propositions for the regulation of tissue donation. It focuses mainly on two statements issued in Germany. The scope of the paper is to give a systematic approach to ethical problems coming up in this field. Both statements try to maintain the idea of positive autonomy in regard to tissue donation, but their attempt eventually is forced to fail. Different procedures are proposed that most often are not practicable (because a truly “informed” consent is impossible, or because optional models tend to overwhelm donors). Blanket consent is also proposed,...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 14, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Rational suicide: philosophical perspectives on schizophreniaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Suicide prevention is a National Health Service priority in the United Kingdom. People with mental illness are seen to represent one of the most vulnerable groups for suicide and recent British Government policy has focused on prevention and management of perceived risk. This approach to suicide prevention is constructed under a biomedical model of psychiatry, which maintains that suicidal persons suffer from some form of disease or irrational drive towards self-destruction. Many react to the idea of self-inflicted death with instinctive revulsion, which has prevented serious discussion of the conce...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - February 12, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Short literature noticesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Short Literature NoticesDOI 10.1007/s11019-008-9180-9Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - January 13, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

The ethical and political evaluation of biotechnology strategiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract In this paper I will briefly discuss the role and function of the ethical advisory committees and other ethics bodies that are supposed to take care of the ethical dimension of the biotechnology strategies. The expert ethical advice has created colourful discussion in many contexts, but here I aim to analyze the role and relevance of ethical expertise in the context of national and regional biotechnology strategies. I will argue that it may be quite unproblematic that the work of the ethics committees and other governmental and semi-governmental ethics bodies concerns only a relatively narrow range ...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - January 13, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Content analysis of euthanasia policies of nursing homes in Flanders (Belgium)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion Our study revealed that euthanasia requests from patients are seriously considered in euthanasia policies of nursing homes, with great attention for palliative care and interdisciplinary cooperation. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Scientific ContributionDOI 10.1007/s11019-008-9176-5Authors Joke Lemiengre, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law Kapucijnenvoer 35 Box 7001 3000 Leuven BelgiumBernadette Dierckx de Casterlé, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Centre for Health Services and Nursing Research Leuven BelgiumYvonne Denier, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Centre for Bio...
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - January 11, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals

Books receivedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Books ReceivedDOI 10.1007/s11019-008-9179-2Authors Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich Institute of Biomedical Ethics Zollikerstrasse 115 8008 Zurich Switzerland Journal Medicine, Health Care and PhilosophyOnline ISSN 1572-8633Print ISSN 1386-7423 (Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy)
Source: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - January 11, 2009 Category: Medical Ethics Tags: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Source Type: journals