Global anthropogenic environmental degradations such as climate change are increasingly recognized as critical public health issues, on which human beings should urgently act in order to preserve sustainable conditions of living on Earth. "Planetary Health" is a breakthrough concept and emerging research field based on the recognition of the interdependent relationships between living organisms-both human and non-human-and their ecosystems. In that regards, there have been numerous calls by healthcare professionals for a greater recognition and adoption of Planetary Health perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe advent of the electronic health record (EHR) raises many questions regarding its adoption and its added value for patients, clinicians and the entire healthcare system. Based on the results of a participatory project that brought together citizens and experts, we show that the EHR should be understood as a collective and evolving project serving public health objectives, and that both patients and healthcare professionals should contribute to its development. Therefore, this common project represents a significant opportunity to strengthen the patient-professionals partnership.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The success of government-recommended mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic depends largely on information uptake and implementation by individual citizens.
Objective: Our aim was to assess citizens' knowledge and perceptions about COVID-19 recommendations in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland.
Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey with open and closed questions was disseminated by community-based partners prior to the relaxation of government restrictions.
Aims: Informed consent and return of research results are among the most debated topics in the biobank literature. We discuss ethical, social, and policy issues associated with returning results in the context of biobanks using a broad consent approach, in the light of data from a qualitative survey of citizens' and physicians' views.
Materials And Methods: Data were collected through interviews and focus groups to investigate stakeholders' perspectives about a large-scale hospital-based biobank designed to foster biomedical research, including prospective genomics research, and "personalized" medicine.
Genomic medicine is often presented as a new paradigm for personalized healthcare. Encompassing both a translational approach in research and a vision of future medical practice, genomic medicine may have important impact on the way healthcare professionals diagnostics, treat and prevent diseases. We discuss some ethical and social issues raised by the prospect of genome-based medical practice, namely: changing definitions of disease and identity, assessment of clinical validity and utility of genome screening, mastery of genomic information by healthcare professionals and its communication to patients, and questions related to the costs of genomic medicine for future healthcare.
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