By Helena Carley, Kate Sahan, Helen Hanson, Katie Snape, Sarah Westbury, Michael J Parker, & Anneke M Lucassen Current popular discourse surrounding genomics is frequently one of ‘clarity’ and ‘transformation’, concepts projected by the NHS 10 year plan and echoed in the media. Technological advances in genomics over recent years have been impressive: whole genome […]
Latest articles
When evidence has only one arm: The ethical challenges of single arm trials
By Chiara Mannelli and Giuseppe Traversa Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have long been regarded as the “gold standard” for testing new treatments. Yet in recent years, an increasing number of marketing authorizations – especially for cancer drugs – have been based on single arm trials (SATs). In these studies, all patients receive the experimental treatment, […]
Not all persons are persons, yet some non-persons are persons: how one word hides two meanings
By Dr. Johnny Sakr Everyone thinks they know what a person is, right up until they try to define one. In their recent contribution to the Journal of Medical Ethics, Nancy Jecker and Caesar Atuire invite a richer and more humane account. Drawing on African philosophical traditions, they argue that personhood is not an isolated […]
Shared misuse, shared consequences: The ethical dimensions of antimicrobial resistance
By Zeynep Sude Yeşildağ and Şəfiqə Süleymanova Antibiotics are among the most significant advances in modern medicine, transforming once-fatal infections into easily treatable conditions. Yet this success has a fragile side. When antibiotics are used casually, without proper indication or supervision, the very tools designed to save lives begin to lose their effectiveness. What was once […]
Moving beyond bodily autonomy: why reproductive ethics needs phenomenology
By Sanne van der Marck Although abortion is an important component of women’s reproductive healthcare in many countries, it continues to be a highly debated issue. Central to this debate is the moral status of the foetus and the rights of the pregnant individual, in particular their right to bodily autonomy. And while medical risks […]
Teens on the ethics panel: Why IRBs should hear from young people
By Samuel Asiedu Owusu and Claudia Passos-Ferreira Pediatric research is often designed for children but reviewed without them. When research involves children, adults make the ethical calls. They design the studies, write the consent forms, and sit on the ethics committees that approve them. They don’t always get it right. Listening to children can make […]
Invisible prescribers: the risks of Google’s AI summaries
By Hannah van Kolfschooten and Nicole Gross With digital technologies, your patients have a ‘doctor in their pocket’. But something new is happening when they search online for medical advice. Typing a question such as “Can I take ibuprofen with blood pressure tablets?” or “What helps against chest pain?” into Google no longer produces the […]
Why ‘just culture’ needs philosophy: Understanding the theoretical presuppositions of moving from blame and punishment to repair and learning
By Eva van Baarle, Guy Widdershoven, Bert Molewijk The notion of just culture has become a buzzword in healthcare organizations. It refers to the need for repair and learning when things go wrong, rather than blame and punishment. This orientation, which is also known as a restorative just culture approach, implies a fundamental change in […]
Climate protester cases expose GMC’s moral failings
By Rammina Yassaie In an unprecedent move in UK medical history the first working doctor, GP Patrick Hart, has been suspended from the medical register for 10 months following his imprisonment for actions he took to draw attention to the role of oil and gas companies in driving the climate emergency, and its associated health […]
How I came to write “A consequentialist case for permitting conscientious objection in healthcare”
By Steve Clarke The ethics of conscientious objection (CO) in healthcare is an important and controversial topic in bioethics and much has been written about it. I first published on the ethics of CO in healthcare in 2017 and I’ve had several other pieces published on the topic since then. I’ve also edited a special […]