Bioethics News and Research

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Medical tourism in Latin America requires regulation: University of Montreal researchers

Medical tourism in Latin America needs to be regulated to protect consumers, according to Universit- de Montr-al researchers. A new study published in the journal Developing World Bioethics argues that Argentinean fertility clinics are increasingly marketing themselves to international health care consumers: these clinics offer all-inclusive packages with fixed prices that feature airfare, accommodations, transfers, language interpreters and, of course, fertility treatments.

8 Oct 2009

Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program to begin in January 2010

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) has established a Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program (PBPM), scheduled to begin in January 2010, for those with an undergraduate degree in science or engineering who are interested in enhancing their skills before applying to medical school.

30 Sep 2009

H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of medical ethics issues: JCB

The anticipated onset of a second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of thorny medical ethics issues best considered well in advance, according to the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, which today released nine papers for public discussion.

25 Sep 2009

IUPUI offers new graduate program in international research ethics

A "Concentration in International Research Ethics" will be offered by the Department of Philosophy in the IU School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolisand the Indiana Center for Bioethics.

21 Sep 2009

Growth of biotechnology in LA depends on social cooperation

Stronger connections among businesses, universities and, most importantly, people are necessary if the biotechnology industry is going to survive and thrive in Los Angeles, according to a new study by Professor Steven Casper at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI).

17 Sep 2009

Consortium on Neuroscience, Ethics, Legal and Social Issues

The Center for Neurotechnology Studies at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is proud to announce the launch of the Capital Consortium on Neuroscience, Ethics, Legal and Social Issues (CCNELSI) on Friday September 4, 2009.

3 Sep 2009

Bioethicists and safety experts suggest guidelines for policy makers to improve patient safety

Is it more urgent for hospitals, doctors and nurses to focus resources on preventing the thousands of falls that injure hospitalized patients each year, or to home in on preventing rare but dramatic instances of wrong-side surgery? Is it best to concentrate immediately on preventing pediatric medical errors or on preventing drug interactions in the elderly?

26 Aug 2009

Survey reveals that many Americans believe controversial statements about health care reform

Findings from a national survey of Americans by researchers from Indiana University Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research (CHPPR) and the Indiana University Center for Bioethics says that Americans do believe the "myths" about health care reform, confirming that the White House may indeed be losing this battle.

25 Aug 2009

Doctors' opinions not always welcome in end-of-life medical choices

Some caregivers of critical care patients prefer doctors to keep their opinions on life support decisions to themselves, according to new research that challenges long-held beliefs in the critical care community.

10 Aug 2009

Opportunities and risks posed by synthetic biology

The new research field of synthetic biology will, in the medium term, open up a great deal of potential for combining novel genetic methods with engineering principles. This will facilitate the development, not only of new vaccines and medicines, but also of fuels and new materials.

3 Aug 2009

Ethical ramifications of H1N1 vaccine priority groups

Pregnant women are among the groups that should receive H1N1 (swine) flu vaccinations this fall, according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices panel whose recommendations are generally accepted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

31 Jul 2009

Study of pulmonary hypertension treatment in sickle cell patients stopped by NHLBI

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial testing a drug treatment for pulmonary hypertension in adults with sickle cell disease nearly one year early due to safety concerns.

28 Jul 2009

Ethicists urge inclusion of pregnant women in Federal child-health study

A team of ethicists from Johns Hopkins, Duke and Georgetown universities is urging organizers of a recently begun $3 billion decades-long study of children's health to immediately add provisions to look at the health and medical profiles of the children's mothers during their pregnancies.

9 Jul 2009

For America's aged, surgery at any price?

When doctors decide whether or not to go ahead with an expensive surgery, "age is no longer the deciding factor, even for invasive treatment such as open-heart surgery," The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

7 Jul 2009

Bioethicists lead call for public debates on future uses of stem cells

More than 40 scientists, bioethicists, lawyers and science journal editors are calling on their colleagues, policy makers and the public to begin developing guidelines for the research and reproductive use of stem cell-derived eggs and sperm, even though such use may be a decade or more away.

2 Jul 2009

Greater oversight needed in sharing of genetic information online

With just $399 and a bit of saliva in a cup, consumers can learn about their genetic risk for diseases from breast cancer to diabetes. Now, thanks to social networking sites set up by personal genomics companies, they can also share that information with family, friends and even strangers on the Internet.

5 Jun 2009