The ethics of pandemic preparedness revisited - autonomy, quarantine, transferability and trust

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Schröder-Bäck ◽  
T Schloemer ◽  
K Martakis ◽  
C Brall
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Pandemic Preparedness ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Outbreak Management ◽  
Ethics Framework ◽  
Ethical Point

Abstract Background The outbreak of SARS in 2002 lead to a public health ethics discourse. The crisis management of that time was ethically analysed and lessons to be learned discussed. Scholarship and WHO, among others, developed an ethics of pandemic preparedness. The current “corona crisis” also faces us with ethical challenges. This presentation is comparing the two crises from an ethical point of view and a focus on Europe. Methods An ethics framework for pandemic preparedness (Schröder et al. 2006 and Schröder-Bäck 2014) is used to make a synopsis of ethical issues. Ethical aspects of 2002 and 2020 that were discussed in the literature and in the media are compared. For 2020, the focus is on interventions in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Results Topics that emerged from the 2002 crisis were, among others, revolving around aspects of stigmatisation and fair distribution of scarce resources (esp. vaccines, antivirals). Currently, most urgent and ethically challenging aspects relate to social distancing vs. autonomy: Isolation and quarantine are handled differently across Europe and the EU. Questions of transferability of such interventions prevail. Contexts vary vertically over time (2002 vs. 2020) and horizontally (e.g. between Italy and Germany at the same time). Furthermore, trust in authorities, media and health information is a key issue. Conclusions Ethical aspects are key for good pandemic preparedness and management. The context of the crises between 2002 and 2020 has slightly changed, also based on “lessons learned” from 2002. This has implications on ethical issues that are being discussed. New lessons will have to be learned from the 2020 crisis. Key messages Pandemic preparedness and outbreak management entail many ethical tensions that need to be addressed. Currently, questions of trust and transferability are key to the crisis management, further ethical issues could still emerge.

scholarly journals Vaccination, Autonomy, Complexity, Solidarity - Ethical analyses of a German policy discourse

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Schröder-Bäck ◽  
F Gille ◽  
C Brall ◽  
K Martakis ◽  
J Kuhn
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Ethics Framework ◽  
Immunization Rates ◽  
Measles Vaccination ◽  
Children In Care

Abstract Background Currently, measles immunization is high on the agenda of academic and public discourses - on both sides of the Atlantic. In Germany, the discussion of mandatory (measles) immunization was intensively publicly discussed in Spring 2019. Many stakeholders, including federal politicians, plea for mandatory measles immunization. In our paper we analyse the discourse from an ethical point of view. Methods Statements and arguments from German stakeholders in the public debate in 2019 are analysed (among them statements of the federal minister of health, the German Medical Association, NGOs and the National Ethics Council). A vaccination ethics framework and a public trust framework are applied in the analysis. Results Politicians and other public stakeholders debate (measles) immunization and increasingly demand mandatory (measles) vaccination. However, frequently it is unclear which vaccinations or immunization programmes they refer to. They often do ignore the epidemiological situation of immunization rates in Germany, regional differences, relevant target groups and implementation mechanisms, including potential sanctions. This way they simplify the complex problem and offer (populist) simplistic solutions. Normative arguments of stakeholders repeatedly use conceptions of ’autonomy’ and ’harm’; but sometimes also ’solidarity’ is mentioned. Conclusions The call for mandatory measles immunization of school and kindergarten children is offering no adequate and sufficient solution to the problem of elimination of measles. Nevertheless, it contributes to reducing infection risks for the children in care and schooling facilities. Rather, the problem has to be understood in its complexity before discussing the ethical challenges and making effective policy recommendations. When discussing ways to increase immunization rates, ethical values like public trust and solidarity have to be in the foreground - not (only) the debate of autonomy and its restriction. Key messages In German policy discourses 2019, the discussion of “mandatory (measles) vaccination” often shows inaccuracies regarding definitions and facts. These have to be clarified before ethical analysis. Ethical issues regarding the voluntariness of measles vaccination relate also to the ethical concepts of solidarity and public trust and not only to autonomy.

Pandemic Disease, Public Health, and Ethics

2019 ◽  
pp. 796-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell Smith ◽  
Ross Upshur
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Pandemic Preparedness ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Ethical Frameworks ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Face ◽  
Conducting Research

Infectious disease pandemics raise significant and novel ethical challenges to the organization and practice of public health. This chapter provides an overview of the salient ethical issues involved in preparing for and responding to pandemic disease, including those arising from deploying restrictive public health measures to contain and curb the spread of disease (e.g., isolation and quarantine), setting priorities for the allocation of scarce resources, health care workers’ duty to care in the face of heightened risk of infection, conducting research during pandemics, and the global governance of preventing and responding to pandemic disease. It also outlines ethical guidance from prominent ethical frameworks that have been developed to address these ethical issues and concludes by discussing some pressing challenges that must be addressed if ethical reflection is to make a meaningful difference in pandemic preparedness and response.

scholarly journals The placebo medication phenomenon - Moral issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Sotirios Tozios
Keyword(s):  
Placebo Effect ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Moral Issues ◽  
Health And Human Rights ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ethical Point ◽  
Methodological Tool ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
Legal And Ethical Issues

The purpose of this review is to analyze the placebo medication phenomenon or placebo effect. In modern medical research, placebo is an important methodological tool, as it is used to control the usefulness of another substance (e.g a medication) in controlled laboratory conditions. There are various forms of use of placebo such as “sugar pills” up to surgery. The placebo effect raises both legal and ethical issues, as part of scientific research should be adapted to the rules of Greek and European legislation. From an ethical point of view, research will be subject to ethical principles in order to respect human existence and protect health and human rights. Nowadays, the placebo phenomenon is recognized by the scientific community as a whole, while at the same time it is the same subject of study aimed at clarifying its mechanisms of action. After researching books and articles of the past decade about the placebo effect, an attempt was made to present the bioethical side of this issue. The placebo effect has been known since the 14th century; however, it was first used in 1955 by Henry Beecher. This was catalytic in terms of changing the way clinical trials were conducted. Plus, when trying any drug it should be compared with a placebo. This method is an important help because we can measure the efficacy of a drug. It is known that approval of a drug will only be done if it has more positive results than placebo.

Gestational surrogacy. Ethical aspects / Maternità surrogata. Questioni etiche

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justo Aznar ◽  
Julio Tudela
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Rights ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Reproductive Process ◽  
Ethical Debate ◽  
Ethical Point ◽  
The Family ◽  
Mother And Child ◽  
Gestational Surrogacy

Gestational surrogacy is the practice that takes place when a woman becomes pregnant with a foetus with which she is not genetically related, and the eggs used to produce it come from a donor or the contracting mother, to whom the baby will be handed over after the birth. The woman acting as surrogate may be contracted commercially and remunerated for her service, or the surrogacy may be altruistic, a circumstance that arises when, generally, a member of the family or friend selflessly volunteers. The ethical debate lies in which should prevail: the hypothetical right of the parents to have a child, the reproductive rights of the woman, or even the good of the child itself. At the heart of the matter is the risk of “objectification” of the gestational mother and the child itself. To resolve this question, we must assess the overall ethical principles of the reproductive process and what it implies for all parties involved, as well as the ethicality of the means used and the end pursued. Instrumentalisation of mother and child invalidates any other reason that may be adduced to positively value gestational surrogacy, from an ethical point of view.----------La maternità surrogata è quella pratica che ha luogo allorché una donna rimane incinta di un feto con il quale non è geneticamente collegata, e le uova usate per produrlo provengono da un donatore o da una madre con cui si sia stipulato un contratto, a cui il bambino sarà consegnato dopo la nascita. Con la donna che agisce come surrogata può essere stipulato un contratto commerciale ed ella può essere remunerata per il suo servizio, oppure la maternità surrogata può essere altruistica, una circostanza che si verifica, in genere, quando un membro della famiglia o un amico si offre volontariamente in maniera disinteressata. Il dibattito etico si riferisce a quel che dovrebbe prevalere: l’ipotetico diritto dei genitori di avere un figlio, i diritti riproduttivi della donna, o anche il bene del bambino stesso. Il nocciolo della questione è il rischio di “oggettivazione” della madre gestazionale e del bambino stesso. Per affrontare questa questione, occorre valutare i principi etici generali del processo riproduttivo e quel che implica per tutte le parti coinvolte, nonché l’eticità dei mezzi utilizzati e il fine perseguito. Da un punto di vista etico, la strumentalizzazione della madre e del bambino invalida qualsiasi altra ragione che possa essere addotta per sostenere il valore positivo della maternità surrogata.

Ethical Challenges in Contemporary FASD Research and Practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 726-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
NINA DI PIETRO ◽  
JANTINA DE VRIES ◽  
ANGELINA PAOLOZZA ◽  
DOROTHY REID ◽  
JAMES N. REYNOLDS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Abstract:Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is increasingly recognized as a growing public health issue worldwide. Although more research is needed on both the diagnosis and treatment of FASD, and a broader and more culturally diverse range of services are needed to support those who suffer from FASD and their families, both research and practice for FASD raise significant ethical issues. In response, from the point of view of both research and clinical neuroethics, we provide a framework that emphasizes the need to maximize benefits and minimize harm, promote justice, and foster respect for persons within a global context.

scholarly journals Overcoming Ethical Challenges in Conducting Research Among Persons With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 20-21
Author(s):  
Jeanine Yonashiro Cho ◽  
Elizabeth Avent ◽  
Roberta Peterson ◽  
Laura Mosqueda ◽  
Zachary Gassoumis
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
The Right

Abstract By 2060, the number of older adults with Alzhemier’s Disease or related dementias (ADRD) is expected to encompass approximately 13.9 million Americans. Recognizing this, the federal government has prioritized research on ADRD and their effect on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of persons with dementia (PWD). Such research is complicated by disease-associated decline in cognitive and functional capacity among PWDs which can impair participant ability to process and communicate information, potentially increasing their exposure to negative research-related experiences and compromising the accuracy and reliability of provided data. Nevertheless, as a key stakeholder group, PWD should have the right to participate in research on ADRD. This session will present a case study of ethical issues that emerged in an NIH-funded study utilizing mixed-methods to examine caregiving and care dyad relationships between PWD and their care partners over an 18-month follow-up period. Ethical issues examined will include: (1) PWD capacity to consent to research at baseline and (2) during follow-up visits, (3) Obtaining accurate and reliable data from persons with mild to moderate dementia, (4) Assessing PWD distress while engaging in data collection processes, and (5) Reporting of negative caregiving and life experiences, such as elder mistreatment. The discussion of these topics and presentation of lessons learned holds promise for improving research methodology in studies involving PWD and enabling researchers to increase the involvement of persons with mild to moderate dementia in research on ADRD.

scholarly journals Ethical Issues of Neural Machine Translation

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 81-83
Author(s):  
Serhii Zasiekin ◽  
Solomiia Vakuliuk
Keyword(s):  
Machine Translation ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Neural Machine Translation ◽  
Translation Tools ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Ethical Point ◽  
Translation Ethics

The paper is focused on the issues of machine translation ethics. The goal of the present study is to discuss the role of neural machine translation tools from an ethical point of view and their impact on humans. Although traditionally ethics of translation is viewed in terms of sameness and difference, it is human translator who is a party to ethics of translation. It is discussed that translators should rely on technology as a helpful leverage in their job, since it allows them to be faster and more productive. On the other hand, we take an interest in examining the extent to which translation technology tools are given power. Neural machine translators can be unsupervised by humans, therefore viewed as a party to ethics of translation.

scholarly journals La definición de "resonsabilidad social empresaria" como tarea filosófica

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (18-19) ◽  
pp. 39-59
Author(s):  
María Marta Preziosa ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Moral Agency ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Social Teaching ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Ethical Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Church

This study is a metaphysical essay defining Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), through a series of Business Ethics texts covering the subject. The selected texts are written by Argentinean and Spanish authors rooted in the Social Teaching of the Church. The objective is to search the foundation of CSR as a moral obligation. The study begins with a logical approach, followed by a metaphysical one before engaging in ethical aspects. The meaning of «responsibility» and «CSR» concepts are defined. Regarding the concept’s metaphysical approach, the study is framed under Aristotelian categories of relationship and quality. From an ethical point of view, CSR is understood as a component of justice as virtue, and what specifically characterizes it is the acknowledgement of one’s own concurrence in the growth and development of the company’s relationship with its stakeholders. The question is posed whether the company, as such, acts in a moral manner –parallel to personal moral agency—. A delimitation of CSR actions is proposed.

Ethics in Autoethnography and Collaborative Autoethnography

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 589-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith C. Lapadat
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issue ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Collective Agency ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Personal Stories ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Ethical Intent

Autoethnography as an approach to inquiry has gained a widespread following in part because it addresses the ethical issue of representing, speaking for, or appropriating the voice of others. In this article, I place the emergence of autoethnography within its historical context and discuss the contributions and limitations of autoethnography as an approach to inquiry. I examine ethical aspects of autoethnography, showing how the method is rooted in ethical intent, yet autoethnographers nevertheless face ethical challenges. I suggest that collaborative autoethnography, a multivocal approach in which two or more researchers work together to share personal stories and interpret the pooled autoethnographic data, builds upon and extends the reach of autoethnography and addresses some of its methodological and ethical issues. In particular, collaborative autoethnography supports a shift from individual to collective agency, thereby offering a path toward personally engaging, nonexploitative, accessible research that makes a difference.

LEGAL, MORAL AND ETHICAL SIDE OF THE OFFENSE, DISCREDITING HONOR EMPLOYEE THE PENAL SYSTEM

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-218
Author(s):  
OKSANA KOCHKINA ◽  
◽  
OLGA MARCHUK ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Penal System ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Personal Qualities ◽  
Executive System ◽  
Correction System

The article examines the legal and moral and ethical aspects of a misdemeanor that discredits the honor of an employee of the criminal Executive system. The considered reason for dismissal has the main feature associated with the integration of legal and moral norms, which often raises a lot of questions about the attribution of a particular offense to this basis. Using the analysis of normative legal acts, the authors attempt to identify the signs that contribute to the separation of the studied grounds for dismissal from all their diversity. The classification of offenses that discredit the honor of an employee of the criminal Executive system is presented, which allows to systematize and organize the knowledge obtained about the considered grounds for dismissal. The analysis of a misdemeanor that defames the honor of an employee of the penal system from a moral and ethical position gives an understanding, first of all, that it does not have a clear regulation from the point of view of the law, but the consequences of committing such a misdemeanor are clearly legal. The concepts of “honor” and “dignity” are considered as ethical categories and are analyzed as personal qualities that are manifested in an employee of the penal correction system during the period of service. These categories in the behavior of a person or employee are manifested both externally (assessment from the outside) and internally (self-assessment). The article describes the value orientation of an employee of the criminal Executive system to ethical standards in professional activity, which is an integral part of the moral and ethical side of a misdemeanor that discredits the honor of an employee.

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