The NHS in the UK uses a committee of bioethicists and others to advise it about ethical policies, known as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, a.k.a., NICE. Well NICE isn’t. In my view, it is dominated by utilitarian ideology that denies the intrinsic value of human . . . . Continue Reading »
My sources tell me that the following states require life-sustaining treatment to continue pending transfer if a hospital determines that the desired treatment is “futile” or “inappropriate,” or “non-beneficial: Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, . . . . Continue Reading »
I consider the Texas fight over Futile Care Theory to be one of the most important bioethical matters of the year. This is why I was so profoundly disappointed when the Texas Catholic Bishops and the Texas Catholic Conference supported a modified version of futile care, and opposed the legislation . . . . Continue Reading »
Adult stem cell research continues apace. This PR press release touts an Australian company’s gaining FDA approval to conduct human experiments in treating heart disease with adult stem cells. It’s a “Phase 2 Trial,” meaning it tests efficacy as well as safety. From the . . . . Continue Reading »
This is pretty inexcusable: As readers of SHS know, Texas is in the midst of a political battle to amend the futile care law to prevent patients, such as Andrea Clark, from being denied wanted life-sustaining treatment. Currently the law permits hospital ethics committees—meeting behind closed . . . . Continue Reading »
In this edition of Brave New Bioethics, I deconstruct the growing eugenic trend to cull embryos for gene defects, including those that could cause a propensity to adult onset disease. Check it . . . . Continue Reading »
Aldous Huxley was one powerful prophet. Back in 1932, in Brave New World, he warned us that in the future, rather than experience true emotions, humanity would instead opt for the feel good drug soma. (“Was and will make me ill, I take one gram and only am.”) Imagine: No more grief; no . . . . Continue Reading »
Thank goodness. An Austrian judge refused to appoint a guardian for a chimpanzee in a court case. From the story in Nature Network:An Austrian judge turned down a request this week to appoint a woman as legal guardian of a chimpanzee. The decision is a blow to a growing movement in Europe attempting . . . . Continue Reading »
One of the arguments made in favor of human cloning research, is that we need to be able to make cloned human embryonic stem cells in order to study disease processes. Frankly, this is the best argument for permitting cloning, rather than the CURES! CURES! CURES hype—which may well never . . . . Continue Reading »
My partially tongue in cheek headline is in reaction to a story—yet again from Brave New Britain—of embryo screening employed to prevent a child from being born who might contract adult onset cancer—in this case, of the breast. Look how fast we have gone from using genetic . . . . Continue Reading »
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