Centre for ethics and health
He who pays the piper calls the tune?
This advisory report, published at December 9th (2009), examines the influence of financiers (especially industrial financiers) on the development of medical knowledge, and the ethical questions to which this give rise. This also especially involves deciding on which fields of knowledge need to be developed and the actual development of that knowledge through research. The words ‘sponsoring’ and ‘sponsor’ are used below to refer to research ‘funding’ and the ‘financier’. A summary of the report can be read here.
Dilemmas of nurses and carers
At November 26th (2009) the Centre for Ethics and Health published a report on moral dilemmas in daily care that nurses and carers are confronted with. These dilemmas are related to institutional requirements, such as achieving targets, meeting performance requirements and dealing with new financial structures. These changes make nurses and carers feel overwhelmed by additional tasks, which take time away from providing good care. The summary of the report can be downloaded here.
Ethical considerations in healthcare-related TV programmes
Health care is a popular theme in TV programmes. Informative as well as entertaiment programmes are keen to provide coverage on health and sickeness, and on filming patients and doctors in their natural habitat: the consultation room or the emergency department. But are the principles of good care always respected? More on this issue can be read in the summary of a report the Centre for Ethics and Health published in may 2009: Ethical considerations in healthcare-related TV programmes.
For a well-considered health policy
The Centre for ethics and health presents itself in a brand new brochure. It can be downloaded here.
Dilemmas on the doorstep
On September 25th, the Centre for Ethics and Health published Dilemmas on the doorstep. Reading early warning signs and intervention by professionals in parenting situations. A summary of the report can be downloaded here.
Farewell to non-commitment. Decision systems for organ donation from an ethical viewpoint
The dutch minister of Health, Welfare and Sports commissioned the Centre for ethics and health to conduct a study of the ethical acceptability of decision systems for organ donation. Prof. dr. Govert den Harthogh (University of Amsterdam) wrote the study, Farewell to non-commitment, which can be downloaded here. Central question of the study: which system for allowing citizens to decide on post-mortem organ donation would be preferable from an ethical viewpoint? Together with Financial incentives for organ donation (2007), Farewell to non-commitment forms the contribution of the Centre for ethics and health to recent debates on how to deal with the shortage of donor organs for transplantation.
Appropriate evidence. Ethical questions concerning the use of evidence in health care policy.
Scientific evidence is playing an increasingly important role in both health care and health care policy. Yet is this emphasis on scientific rigour appropriate for every form of care? That is the key question posed in the monitoring report Appropriate evidence. We need to ask ourselves which type of evidence is appropriate for each form of care. Hard evidence should be obtained wherever possible. Yet for forms of care where this is not a realistic option, other requirements need to be set. To summarise: appropriate evidence must be sought. The complete report can be downloaded here.
Published on 12th November 2007: Financial incentives of organ donors
The lack of organ donations has recentrly received a great deal of attention in the Netherlands. The reason for this is the persistent lack of kidney donors. In 2006 more than 1000 people were on a waiting list for a kidney, whereas the number of available post-mortem organs decreased by 14 percent in 2006. In 2006 95 people died who were on a waiting list for a kidney. Against this background the question arises whether it is possible and morally acceptable to stimulate organ donation financially. On this question the Centre for Ethics and Health (Centrum voor Ethiek en Gezondheid) decided to publish a report, which was offered to the Minister of Health on the 12th of November. The summary and the full text of the report are now available.
Summaries Ethics and Health monitoring Reports
Annual reports by the Centre for Ethics and Health of the Netherlands (CEG) describes recent developments in public health, which raise certain ethical questions and which therefore call for government attention. In publishing these reports, the Health Council of the Netherlands (Gezondheidsraad; GR) and the Council for Public Health and Health Care (Raad voor de Volksgezondheid en Zorg; RVZ) are fulfilling their ’alerting’ role within the context of the CEG. The purpose of the reports are to provide input for the Ethics and Health Agenda, which forms part of the annual budget proposals of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Summaries of the following reports are available.