There is consensus that the digitization of healthcare can make it easier to keep in touch with healthcare and get information that supports individual decision-making about one’s own health. However, the ability to understand and use health information digitally varies. The promising digitization therefore risks creating unequal care and health. In this context, one usually […]
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Who can be listed as an author of a research paper? There seems to be some confusion about the so-called Vancouver rules for academic authorship, which serve as publication ethical guidelines in primarily medicine and the natural sciences (but sometimes also in the humanities and social sciences). According to these rules, an academic author must […]
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In a recent post on this blog I summarized the main points of a pre-print where I analyzed the prospect of artificial consciousness from an evolutionary perspective. I took the brain and its architecture as a benchmark for addressing the technical feasibility and conceptual plausibility of engineering consciousness in artificial intelligence systems. The pre-print has […]
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Antibiotic resistance is a growing global challenge, particularly for modern healthcare, which relies on antibiotics to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Multi-resistant bacteria are already present across the globe and without effective antibiotics, simple medical interventions will become risky in the future. Each year, several million deaths globally are associated with antibiotic resistance. With more […]
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During a clinical trial, large amounts of health data are generated that can be useful not only within the current study. If the trial data are made available for sharing, they can be reused within other research projects. Moreover, if the research participants’ individual health data are returned to them, this may benefit the patients […]
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Several ethical concepts and principles govern how patients should be treated in healthcare. For example, healthcare professionals should respect patients’ autonomy. Moreover, they should act in the patients’ best interest and avoid actions that can cause harm. Patients must also be treated fairly. However, exactly how such ethical concepts and principles should be applied can […]
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Philosophy is an unusual activity, partly because it can be conducted to such a large extent while sitting still. Philosophers do not need research vessels, laboratories or archives to work on their questions. Just a chair to sit on. Why is it like that? The answer is that philosophers examine our ways of thinking, and […]
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In an intensive care unit, seriously ill patients who need medical and technical support for central bodily functions, such as breathing and circulation, are monitored and treated. Usually it goes well, but not all patients survive, despite the advanced and specialized care. An intensive care unit can be a stressful environment for the patient, not […]
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As I wrote in previous posts on this blog, the discussion about the possibility of engineering an artificial form of consciousness is growing along with the impressive advances of artificial intelligence (AI). Indeed, there are many questions arising from the prospect of an artificial consciousness, including its conceivability and its possible ethical implications. We deal […]
Continue readingWhat is obvious in principle may turn out to be less obvious in practice. That would be at least one possible interpretation of a new study on ethics in palliative care. Palliative care is given to patients with life-threatening illnesses that cannot be cured. Although palliative care can sometimes contribute to extending life somewhat, the […]
Continue readingTHE ETHICS BLOG
A research blog from the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB)
We write for researchers, healthcare staff, officials, politicians, patient organisations and anyone interested in ethics.
We comment on the research ethics and bioethics debate and discuss our own research. We address issues from current debates in the research community and in the press.
MEET THE EDITOR
Pär Segerdahl is editor of the Ethics Blog and Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics.