By Iain Brassington The Charlie Gard saga is one about which I’ve been reluctant to say anything, not least because plenty of other people have said plenty elsewhere. Sometimes they add heat, and sometimes they add light. Beneath everything, the story is fairly simple: a small child is terribly ill; it is agreed by medical opinion […]
Latest articles
Editor-in-Chief Journal of Medical Ethics
The Institute of Medical Ethics and BMJ are looking for the next Editor-in-Chief who can continue to shape the Journal of Medical Ethics into a dynamic resource for a rapidly evolving field. Candidates should be active in the field, keen to facilitate international perspectives and maintain an awareness of trends and hot topics. The successful […]
Not Just About Consent: The Ethical Dimensions of Research Methodology Knowledge in IRBs
Guest Post: Sarah Wieten The recent article, “Some Social Scientists Are Tired of Asking for Permission” in the New York Times inspired a great deal of debate about the role of institutional research ethics board (IRB) oversight in social science, which some argue is in most cases unlikely to involve significant harm to participants. While […]
“NOW’s interest in pharmaceutical gender equity seems to have disappeared with its funding.”
There’s a remarkable piece on the Hastings Center’s blog by Alycia Hogenmiller about a drug called Addyi. Addyi is a drug that doesn’t work to treat a condition that doesn’t exist, pushed by campaigners who are actually industry shills. Sprout Pharmaceuticals, run by Cindy and Robert Whitehead, was determined to obtain regulatory approval for flibanserin […]
What’s the Point of Professional Ethical Codes?
For a few reasons, I’ve been thinking a bit over the last few months about professionalism and professional codes. In fact, that’s the topic that’s attracted most of my attention here since… oooh, ages ago. I find the idea of a code of professional ethics troubling in many ways, but also fascinating. And one of […]
No Pain, All Gain: The Case for Farming Organs in Brainless Humans
Guest post by Ruth Stirton, University of Sussex (@RuthStirton) and David Lawrence, Newcastle University (@Biojammer) It is widely acknowledged that there is a nationwide shortage of organs for transplantation purposes. In 2016, 400 people died whilst on the organ waiting list. Asking for donors is not working fast enough. We should explore all avenues to […]
Appealing to the Crowd: Ethical Justifications in Canadian Medical Crowdfunding Campaigns
Guest Post: Jeremy Snyder Paper:Appealing to the crowd: ethical justifications in Canadian medical crowdfunding campaigns Medical crowdfunding is a practice where users take advantage of the power of social networks to raise funds related to medical needs from friends, family, and strangers by sharing fundraising appeals online. Popular venues include GiveForward, GoFundMe, and YouCaring, among […]
A Plutocratic Proposal: An Ethical Way for Rich Patients to Pay for a Place on a Clinical Trial
Guest Post: Alexander Masters and Dominic Nutt Paper: A Plutocratic Proposal: an ethical way for rich patients to pay for a place on a clinical trial Is it ethically possible to fund a clinical trial by charging the participants? We believe we have discovered a way to do it. Our suggested method has, as far as […]
Nudges in a Post-truth World.
Guest Post: Neil Levy Full Article: Nudges in a Post-Truth World Human beings are motivated reasoners. We find ways to believe what we want to believe, sometimes even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. This fact helps to explain why so many political issues are intractable, and why so many of us […]
How Different are Female, Male and Intersex Genital Cutting?
By Brian D. Earp (@briandavidearp), with Rebecca Steinfeld, Goldsmiths, University of London Three members of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Islam were recently indicted on charges of “female genital mutilation” (FGM) in the US state of Michigan. In Norway, meanwhile, one of the major political parties has backed a measure to ban childhood male circumcision. Fearing that objections to […]