Ethical Issues and Norms of Human-animal Chimerism Technology / 中国医学伦理学

Since the 21st century, with the rapid development of biomedicine, research and discussion on human-animal chimerism technology have attracted wide attention. The general research of human-animal chimeras is to introduce human stem cells into animal embryos that remove organ genes, aiming to cultivate human organs in human-animal chimeras to solve the shortage of human organ donors and provide experimental materials for the development of related scientific research. However, due to its technology involves cross-species genetic modification, which destroys the species boundary and the naturalness of ecological niche, it has caused various ethical issues such as threatening species safety and harming human dignity. The development of human-animal chimerism technology is the choice of the times for technological progress, with its inevitability and rationality. It should not be absolutely prohibited, but must abide by the ethical principles such as safety, benefit, respect, and justice, and operate harmoniously under strict and orderly ethical norms.

Caring Ethics of Long-term Care for the Elderly / 中国医学伦理学

With the continuous increase of the elderly in China, the proportion of elderly with disabilities and dementia remains high. Long-term care, as a care system for elderly with disabilities and dementia, has some problems that misunderstanding of the concept of long-term care, the de-emotionalization of care behaviour, and the impact on family ethics. The care ethics grounds the universal caring experience, and provides an ethical norm with relationship as a pivot and emotion as a connection. Its characteristics of emphasis on contextual, relational and emotional have constructive implications for improving long-term care system. To realize care, it is significant to clarify the concept and improve the system in the ethical context, focus on both sides of the relationship based on demand, let care practice infiltrate into life through turning emotion into action, and build a long-term care system with a temperature to improve the overall quality of life of the elderly.

Ethical Disputes and Norms of Exposure Therapy / 中国医学伦理学

Exposure therapy is a kind of behavior therapy that exposes patients to certain stimulating situations to make them tolerate and adapt. Based on the ethical perspective, this paper introduced the ethical disputes in exposure therapy from three aspects that safety and tolerance, patient rights and humanistic care, as well as professional ethics and moral risks of psychotherapists. This paper also put forward three ethical norms and requirements, including earnestly implementing the principle of informed consent, adhering to the principle of no harm in the whole process, and obeying the principle of confidentiality, in order to improve the professional level of exposure therapy and protect the rights and interests of patients and psychotherapists.

The impact of medical students' attitudes towards group ethical norms on their academic achievement and classroom deviant behaviour: An empirical study from China / El impacto de las actitudes de los estudiantes de medicina hacia las normas éticas de grupo en su rendimiento académico y el comportamiento desviado en el aula: un estudio empírico de China / O impacto de atitudes de estudantes de medicine em relação a normas éticas grupais em suas conquistas acadêmicas e comportamentos desviantes em sala de aula: um estudo empírico da China

Abstract: In recent years, medical students' absenteeism has been investigated in depth. Classroom deviant behavior is a richer concept than truancy behavior, but there are few researchers on this aspect in China. There are still many issues worth discussing about deviant classroom behavior. In this paper, questionnaires were given to 977 medical students to collect relevant data. After classifying the data, correlation analysis and multilevel linear regression analysis were used to conclude that academic performance and group ethical norms have a negative impact on medical students' deviant behaviors in class. Group ethical norms have a significant positive influence on academic performance, and descriptive ethical norms and imperative ethical norms of group ethical norms have a significant influence on academic performance. The four dimensions of academic performance: academic performance, task performance, interpersonal promotion, and social comparison have a negative influence on medical students' deviant behaviors in class. Descriptive ethical norms have an inverse effect on medical students' deviant behaviors, while imperative ethical norms have no significant effect on deviant behaviors in class. Group ethical norms as a category of ethical norms clearly have significant implications for improving academic performance and reducing their transgressions in class. Reinforcing group ethics in medical students will not only contribute to their professional ethics upon graduation, but also to their academic performance.

Resumen: En los últimos años, se ha investigado en profundidad el absentismo de los estudiantes de medicina. El comportamiento desviado en el aula es un concepto más rico que el comportamiento de absentismo escolar, pero hay pocos investigadores sobre este aspecto en China. Todavía hay muchas cuestiones que vale la pena discutir sobre el comportamiento desviado en el aula. En este trabajo, se entregaron cuestionarios a 977 estudiantes de medicina para recoger los datos pertinentes. Tras clasificar los datos, se utilizó el análisis de correlación y de regresión lineal multinivel para llegar a la conclusión de que el rendimiento académico y las normas éticas de grupo tienen un impacto negativo en los comportamientos desviados de los estudiantes de medicina en clase. Las normas éticas de grupo tienen una influencia positiva significativa en el rendimiento académico, y las normas éticas descriptivas y las normas éticas imperativas de las normas éticas de grupo tienen una influencia significativa en el rendimiento académico. Las cuatro dimensiones del rendimiento académico: rendimiento académico, rendimiento de la tarea, promoción interpersonal y comparación social tienen una influencia negativa en los comportamientos desviados de los estudiantes de medicina en clase. Las normas éticas descriptivas tienen un efecto inverso en las conductas desviadas de los estudiantes de medicina, mientras que las normas éticas imperativas no tienen un efecto significativo en las conductas desviadas en clase. Las normas éticas de grupo como categoría de normas éticas tienen claramente implicaciones significativas para mejorar el rendimiento académico y reducir sus transgresiones en clase. Reforzar la ética de grupo en los estudiantes de medicina no sólo contribuirá a su ética profesional al graduarse, sino también a su rendimiento académico.

Resumo: Nos últimos anos, o absenteísmo dos estudantes de medicina tem sido pesquisado em profundidade. O comportamento desviante na sala de aula é um conceito mais rico do que o comportamento de evasão escolar, mas há poucos pesquisadores sobre este aspecto na China. Ainda há muitas questões que vale a pena discutir sobre o comportamento desviante em sala de aula. Neste documento, foram entregues questionários a 977 estudantes de medicina para coletar dados relevantes. Após a classificação dos dados, análise de correlação e análise de regressão linear multinível foram utilizadas para concluir que o desempenho acadêmico e as normas éticas de grupo têm um impacto negativo sobre o comportamento desviante dos estudantes de medicina em sala de aula. Normas éticas de grupo têm uma influência positiva significativa no desempenho acadêmico, e normas éticas descritivas e normas éticas imperativas de normas éticas de grupo têm uma influência significativa no desempenho acadêmico. As quatro dimensões do desempenho acadêmico: desempenho acadêmico, desempenho de tarefas, promoção interpessoal e comparação social têm uma influência negativa sobre os comportamentos desviantes dos estudantes de medicina nas aulas. As normas éticas descritivas têm um efeito inverso sobre os comportamentos desviantes dos estudantes de medicina, enquanto as normas éticas imperativas não têm efeito significativo sobre os comportamentos desviantes nas aulas. Normas éticas de grupo como uma categoria de normas éticas têm claramente implicações significativas para melhorar o desempenho acadêmico e reduzir suas transgressões na classe. O reforço da ética de grupo em estudantes de medicina não só contribuirá para sua ética profissional ao se formarem, mas também para seu desempenho acadêmico.

Normas éticas para la realización de pruebas predictivas en los servicios de genética médica de Cuba / Ethical norms for the execution of predictive tests in the medical genetics´ services in Cuba

Introducción: Las nuevas tecnologías disponibles en el campo de la genética humana y médica pueden ser utilizadas, cada vez más, con fines médicos preventivos. Existe también el riesgo de su uso indebido que favorezca la discriminación y la eutanasia selectiva y minimice el papel de los condicionantes sociales en la salud de las poblaciones. Objetivo: Establecer normas éticas para garantizar que las pruebas presintomáticas en Cuba se realicen conforme a los principios éticos de respeto a la autonomía, justicia, beneficencia y no maleficencia. Métodos: Estas normas se elaboraron a partir de una propuesta discutida y consensuada en talleres nacionales con la participación de genetistas clínicos de todo el país y aprobadas por el Comité de Ética del Centro Nacional de Genética Médica y el Ministerio de Salud Pública. Resultados: Las normas aprobadas consideraron aspectos esenciales como el conocimiento sobre el alcance de la información que la prueba revelará y sus implicaciones a nivel personal y familiar, el consentimiento informado para su realización, las condiciones en que se realiza y la seguridad de sus resultados, las obligaciones médicas antes, durante y después de la realización de la prueba y lo concerniente a la privacidad y confidencialidad de la información. Conclusiones: La generalización y cumplimiento de las normas aprobadas asegura la protección a individuos y familias vulnerables, contribuye a mejorar su atención médica y a aminorar el impacto que sobre su salud, su reproducción y su vida en general, tienen las severas enfermedades para las que están en riesgo o padecen(AU)

Introduction: New technologies available in the field of human and medical genetics can increasingly be used for preventive medical purposes. There is also the risk of misuse that favors discrimination and selective euthanasia, and that minimizes the role of social determinants in the health of the populations. Objectives: To establish ethical norms to ensure that presymptomatic tests in Cuba are carried out in accordance with the principles of respect for autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-malice. Methods: These norms were elaborated from a proposal discussed and agreed upon in national workshops with the participation of clinical geneticists from all over the country and approved by the Ethics Committee of the National Center of Medical Genetics and the Ministry of Public Health. Results: The approved norms considered essential aspects such as: the knowledge about the scope of information that the test will reveal and its implications on a personal and family level, informed consent for its implementation, the conditions under which it is performed, and the safety of its results; medical obligations before, during and after the performance of the test; and all concerning to the privacy and confidentiality of the information. Conclusions: The generalization and compliance of these ethical norms ensure the protection of vulnerable individuals and families, contributes to improving their medical care and to reducing the impact on their health, their reproduction and life in general terms of the severe diseases they are at risk or suffering from(AU)

La eficacia en funcion de los costos y la reforma del sector salud / Cost-effectiveness and the health sector reform

La eficacia en función del costo de una intervención de salud es una estimación de la relación entre lo que cuesta proveer una intervención, y el mejoramiento en salud que se produce como consecuencia. La salud puede mejorar porque se reduce la incidencia de la enfermedad o lesión, porque se evita o demora la muerte, o porque se reduce el intervalo o la severidad de una incapacidad. El cálculo de este beneficio combina factores objetivos, como son la edad de incidencia y si resulta o no en muerte, con factores subjetivos, como son la evaluación del grado de incapacidad no-mortal, la ponderación del valor de la vida sana según la edad, y la tasa de descuento que se aplica al futuro. Se explica cómo se construye el estimado y cómo se debería interpretarlo. Luego, se examina el grado en que el concepto es consistente con normas éticas y de equidad, concluyéndose que no están en conflicto. Finalmente, se discute la incorporación de la eficacia en función de los costos como elemento de una reforma de salud, y las posibles medidas para implementarla.

The cost-effectiveness of a health intervention is an estimate of the relation between what it costs to be provided, and the improvement in health which results from such intervention. Health may improve because the incidence of illness or injury is reduced, because death is avoided or delayed, or because the duration or severity of disability is limited. The calculation of this health benefit combines objective factors, such as the age at incidence and whether or not the outcome is death, with subjective factors such as the severity of disability, the judgement as to the value of life lived at different ages, and the rate at which the future is discounted. The construction and interpretation of the estimate are explained. Also, the paper examines whether the concept of cost-effectiveness is consistent with ethical norms such as equity, and concludes that they are not in conflict. Finally, it addresses the question of how to incorporate cost-effectiveness into a health sector reform, and possible ways to implement it.