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Journal of Bioethical Inquiry Jun 2023
Topics: Humans; Bioethics; Rural Health
PubMed: 37233963
DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10259-2 -
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry Dec 2023The race against COVID-19 has been intense and painful and many of us are now looking for a way to move on. We may try to seize a degree of comfort and security by...
The race against COVID-19 has been intense and painful and many of us are now looking for a way to move on. We may try to seize a degree of comfort and security by convincing ourselves that we are among the "fittest"-that is, among those who have managed to survive-who can now hope for a "new-normal" time, relatively unscathed. But this isn't what we should be hoping for. Our world, and ourselves, will never be free of COVID-19 or its insidious effects. COVID-19, like climate change, is a threat multiplier and the challenges it has raised are now indelibly engraved in our vulnerable, interconnected lives. Rather than vainly hoping for a return to an imaginary, erstwhile "normal" what we need is something more fundamental: a new version of hope that embraces a courage to learn what we need to do, to enable us to live a future to which we aspire. Perhaps counter-intuitively, we need to accept that the COVID-19 experience has already changed us deeply and hope that we can learn from this and from the future changes that the pandemic will give rise to. We need to radicalize our responses to the challenges, enabling ourselves to learn new lessons about old but increasingly pertinent topics, such as the realities of human fragility, and inter-connection.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Courage; Palliative Care; Climate Change; Pandemics
PubMed: 37676562
DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10291-2 -
JAMA Oncology Jun 2023
Topics: Humans; Psilocybin; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Neoplasms; Patients
PubMed: 37052904
DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.0351 -
Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy Jun 2024This article discusses the relationship between two theories about the badness of death, the Life-Comparative Account and the Gradualist Account, and two methods of...
This article discusses the relationship between two theories about the badness of death, the Life-Comparative Account and the Gradualist Account, and two methods of operationalizing severity in health care priority setting, Absolute Shortfall and Proportional Shortfall. The aim is that theories about the badness of death can influence and inform the idea of the basis of severity as a priority setting criterion. I argue that there are strong similarities between the Life-Comparative Account and Absolute Shortfall, and since the Life-Comparative Account is one of the most reasonable accounts of the badness of death, this provides some support for using Absolute Shortfall. I also argue that it is difficult to find support for Proportional Shortfall from theories about the badness of death, and also, that it is difficult to find support for Gradualist Account from theories about severity.
Topics: Humans; Attitude to Death; Philosophy, Medical; Severity of Illness Index; Health Priorities; Death
PubMed: 38329625
DOI: 10.1007/s11019-024-10193-z -
La Clinica Terapeutica 2023Professor Derek Pheby's passing in November 2022 marked a profound loss for the scientific community. Professor Derek Pheby, a stalwart figure in the fields of... (Review)
Review
Professor Derek Pheby's passing in November 2022 marked a profound loss for the scientific community. Professor Derek Pheby, a stalwart figure in the fields of autoimmune diseases and bioethics, was known for his dedication to scientific research and patients' support, particularly for those affected by paraneoplastic autoimmune syndromes. Professor Pheby made significant contributions to research, especially about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). His leadership of the ME Biobank and scientific coordination of EUROMENE demonstrated his commitment to pushing boundaries and fostering international collaborations. Professor Pheby's scientific work addressed various aspects of ME/CFS, from physician education to patient needs, the development of a post-mortem tissue bank, and effective treatments. Beyond his medical career, Professor Pheby was a crucial member of the Independent Ethics Committee of MAGI, he was a poet, humanitarian, and advocate for child protection. His generosity and boundless spirit left an enduring legacy, fostering innovative research in the pursuit of combating autoimmune diseases.
PubMed: 37994768
DOI: 10.7417/CT.2023.2491 -
Monash Bioethics Review Dec 2023There are increasing pressures for bioethics to emphasise 'translation'. Against this backdrop, we defend 'speculative bioethics'. We explore speculation as an important...
There are increasing pressures for bioethics to emphasise 'translation'. Against this backdrop, we defend 'speculative bioethics'. We explore speculation as an important tool and line of bioethical inquiry. Further, we examine the relationship between speculation and translational bioethics and posit that speculation can support translational work. First, speculative research might be conducted as ethical analysis of contemporary issues through a new lens, in which case it supports translational work. Second, speculation might be a first step prior to translational work on a topic. Finally, speculative bioethics might constitute different content altogether, without translational objectives. For each conception of speculative bioethics, important methodological aspects determine whether it constitutes good bioethics research. We conclude that whether speculative bioethics is compatible with translational bioethics-and to what extent-depends on whether it is being employed as tool or content. Applying standards of impact uniformly across bioethics may inappropriately limit speculative bioethics.
Topics: Humans; Bioethics; Bioethical Issues
PubMed: 37770722
DOI: 10.1007/s40592-023-00181-z -
Frontiers in Medicine 2023Hormone-based contraception disrupts hormonal balance, creating artificial states of anovulation and threatening women's health. We reviewed its main adverse effects and... (Review)
Review
Hormone-based contraception disrupts hormonal balance, creating artificial states of anovulation and threatening women's health. We reviewed its main adverse effects and mechanisms on accelerated ovarian aging, mental health (emotional disruptions, depression, and suicide), sexuality (reduced libido), cardiovascular (brain stroke, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and thrombosis), and oncological (breast, cervical, and endometrial cancers). Other "collateral damage" includes negative effects on communication, scientific mistrust, poor physician-patient relationships, increased patient burden, economic drain on the healthcare system, and environmental pollution. Hormone-sensitive tumors present a dilemma owing to their potential dual effects: preventing some cancers vs. higher risk for others remains controversial, with denial or dismissal as non-relevant adverse effects, information avoidance, and modification of scientific criteria. This lack of clinical assessment poses challenges to women's health and their right to autonomy. Overcoming these challenges requires an anthropological integration of sexuality, as the focus on genital bodily union alone fails to encompass the intimate relational expression of individuals, complete sexual satisfaction, and the intertwined feelings of trust, safety, tenderness, and endorsement of women's femininity.
PubMed: 37457571
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1167504 -
World Psychiatry : Official Journal of... Jun 2023
PubMed: 37159372
DOI: 10.1002/wps.21070 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2023
PubMed: 38027284
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1307584