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Localized past, globalized future: towards an effective bioethical framework using examples from population genetics and medical tourism.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21175711     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Process    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This paper suggests that many of the pressing dilemmas of bioethics are global and structural in nature. Accordingly, global ethical frameworks are required which recognize the ethically significant factors of all global actors. To this end, ethical frameworks must recognize the rights and interests of both individuals and groups (and the interrelation of these). The paper suggests that the current dominant bioethical framework is inadequate to this task as it is over-individualist and therefore unable to give significant weight to the ethical demands of groups (and by extension communal and public goods). It will explore this theme by considering the inadequacy of informed consent (the 'global standard' of bioethics) to address two pressing global bioethical issues: medical tourism and population genetics. Using these examples it will show why consent is inadequate to address all the significant features of these ethical dilemmas. Four key failures will be explored, namely, • That the rights and interests of those related (and therefore affected) are neglected; • That consent fails to take account of the context and commitments of individuals which may constitute inducement and coercion; • That consent alone does not have the ethical weight to negate exploitation or make an unjust action just ('the fallacy of sufficiency'); • That consent is a single one-off act which is inappropriate for the types of decision being made. It will conclude by suggesting that more appropriate models are emerging, particularly in population genetics, which can supplement consent.
Authors:
Heather Widdows
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Bioethics     Volume:  25     ISSN:  1467-8519     ISO Abbreviation:  Bioethics     Publication Date:  2011 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-12-23     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8704792     Medline TA:  Bioethics     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  83-91     Citation Subset:  E; IM    
Copyright Information:
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham, Edgbaston,Birmingham. h.widdows@bham.ac.uk
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