Medical technology itself, including minimally invasive surgery, has no morals; our morality revolves around when and how we use technology. This often involves the individual clinician's assessment of their own abilities and an awareness of two aspects of the technology: its proven efficacy and its safety. Is technology outpacing knowledge? Or do physicians adopt new technologies in a responsible way with good motives? No one knows for sure. Technological progress in medicine has been a mixed blessing. The only ethical element involved in the use of new technologies over which individual medical practitioners have control, is that of user proficiency with the device, procedure, or drug, and the related information they provide to their patients when obtaining their consent for its use. New technologies fall into two broad categories: evolutionary, the most common, and revolutionary, which occur sporadically and may completely change the face of medical care. The learning curve for all new technologies can be steep. So, when should physicians be permitted to use these new technologies without supervision? Who is responsible for setting and monitoring standards for new technologies? With the moving target of medical technological innovation, individual practitioners are primarily responsible for the ethical use of new (to them) technologies. It is physicians' ethics that govern their use of new technologies, being certain that they have the requisite training and experience to use the modality, and that the intervention is safe for their patients. Institutional practitioner credentialing at the local level, despite its faults, will often be the primary control over a technology's use. What will ultimately govern the use of new technologies is the ethics (if they exist) of healthcare institutions and individual practitioners, as well as patient need. This is simply another reason why ethics education is vital for physicians-and other health practitioners and healthcare administrators.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/slas.2002.36465 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The effects of age, fitness, and health on the passive stiffness of the intact low back and its impact on seated work in a healthy, working, female population.
Ergonomics
January 2025
School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Age is associated with increased tissue stiffness and a higher risk of low back pain, particularly in older, sedentary workers who spend long periods sitting. This study explored how trunk stiffness changes with age and its relationship with posture during prolonged sitting in a sample of 37 women aged 20-65 years. Age was assessed as both Chronological Age and Fitness Age, with trunk stiffness measured using a passive trunk flexion apparatus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Effects of Self-Monitoring Using a Smartwatch and Smartphone App on Stress Awareness, Self-Efficacy, and Well-Being-Related Outcomes in Police Officers: Longitudinal Mixed Design Study.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
January 2025
Department of Learning and Workforce Development, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Soesterberg, Netherlands.
Background: Wearable sensor technologies, often referred to as "wearables," have seen a rapid rise in consumer interest in recent years. Initially often seen as "activity trackers," wearables have gradually expanded to also estimate sleep, stress, and physiological recovery. In occupational settings, there is a growing interest in applying this technology to promote health and well-being, especially in professions with highly demanding working conditions such as first responders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpidemiological Features, Clinical Symptoms, and Environmental Risk Factors for Notifiable Japanese Encephalitis in Taiwan From 2008 to 2020: Retrospective Study.
JMIR Public Health Surveill
January 2025
School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and may cause fever, nausea, headache, or meningitis. It is currently unclear whether the epidemiological characteristics of the JEV have been affected by the extreme climatic conditions that have been observed in recent years.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the epidemiological characteristics, trends, and potential risk factors of JE in Taiwan from 2008 to 2020.
Musculoskeletal adverse events associated with CDK4/6 inhibitors: a real-world study using FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.
BMC Pharmacol Toxicol
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
Objective: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-4/6 inhibitors have significantly improved outcomes in several cancers but can also induce various organ system toxicities, including musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the musculoskeletal adverse events (MSAEs) associated with CDK4/6 inhibitors based on real-world data.
Methods: Reports of MSAEs linked to CDK4/6 inhibitors from the first quarter (Q1) of 2015 and 2023 Q4 were extracted from the FAERS.
Comprehensive analysis of the interaction microbiome and prostate cancer: an initial exploration from multi-cohort metagenome and GWAS studies.
J Transl Med
January 2025
Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Wuhan, 430030, P.R. China.
Introduction: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States with a high mortality rate. In recent years, the traditional opinion about prostate microbiome was challenged. Although there still are some arguments, an escalating number of researchers are shifting their focus toward the microbiome within the prostate tumor environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!