ISSN Print 2713-0894    ISSN Online 2713-0908
Medical Ethics
BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL OF ERMC EASTERN EUROPEAN

New articles

Original research Genetic testing in health care practices (adapted from an empirical study)
Bogomiagkova E S
The article contains the results obtained during an empirical study of health care practices among people of a large Russian city implemented in a combined strategy in 2020–2021. Our focus remains on the reference of citizens to the procedure of DNA diagnostics as a novel instrument of health-saving behavior and attitude to genetic knowledge in general. The obtained data allow concluding that genetic testing is not widely popular among population today, as only 9,5% of those interviewed have ever done it. DNA diagnostics is more frequently used by young women and men with high income and don’t trusting modern medicine, which probably reflects the actual condition of the market of genetic services in our country. Apart from financial possibilities, involvement into consumer genomics is influenced by insufficient trust in DNA information, and suspecting that players on the market of genetic services obtain economic profit. However, the most important argument against it consists in the discovered discrepancy between perception of genetic data as something inevitable and currently popular ideology of healthy lifestyle, meaning that a person can influence the outcome of the efforts made. As a result, research participants are not willing to become the everlasting ‘patients-in-waiting’ even in case of existing symptoms, but implement their ‘right not to know’. Under these conditions, an important task includes organization of active promoting awareness that unlocks potential, capabilities and limitations of genetic diagnostics.
Received: 2022-04-24
Published online: 2022-08-19
DOI: 10.24075/medet.2022.045
Comments 0
VIEWS 1
Opinion Legal and ethical issues of establishing the boundaries of informed consent
Ruda M G
The article deals with legal and ethical issues of establishing the boundaries of informed consent as a basic procedure being an integral part of medical practice, biomedical and clinical human research, and a broad list of medical procedures. A comparative analysis was based on examination of the best global models of informed consent. In the future, their implementation into the Russian legislative and regulatory compliance practices is suggested. The research uses the following methods: analysis and synthesis, analogy, method of legal modelling, and method of comparative legal research. Some conclusions were made about the reception of certain legal issues considering such factors as legal mental structure, level of legal culture, etc. In this article, the following aspects are highlighted: requirement for information disclosure, requirement to understand the relationship, a researcher’s liability to enhance qualifications, a patient’s responsibility, and the issue about an informed consent form.
Received: 2022-04-20
Published online: 2022-08-18
DOI: 10.24075/medet.2022.044
Comments 0
VIEWS 2
Opinion Legal and ethical expertise of genetic research: issues of regulation and institutionalization
Przhilenskiy V I
Although legal regulation of genetic research has been steadily improved, it is still lagging behind promotion of genetic research, especially in the field of development and use of its achievement-based technologies. A distinct feature of this legal area is currently a higher dependence on ethics. This resulted in establishment of a special institution, an ethics committee, that unites the possibilities of ethical and legal expertise giving birth to numerous organizational and substantive issues. Some of them are reflected in discussions about the relationship between moral reflection and legislative processes, epidemiological status of bioethics, etc. For instance, in Russian literature there is a thesis that organization and conduction of ethical expertise is regulated much better than those of legal one and can be implemented within the current legal and regulatory framework. Meanwhile, a need for legal expertise in genomic research and genetic technologies is not inferior but even superior. This is confirmed by deficient legal support of many important decisions taken by the authorities and actions accomplished by research groups. The article reviews opinions of Russian and foreign scientists who provide different assessment of the role of ethics committees and their possible falling within law or ethics. The role and place of ethics committees in the system of rule-making harmonization and law enforcement are specified.
Received: 2022-04-22
Published online: 2022-08-03
DOI: 10.24075/medet.2022.043
Comments 0
VIEWS 34
Review Aspects of informing and obtaining consent while conducting trials in pulmonology and psychiatry
Sinitsina I I, Nenascheva N M, Peredelskaya M Yu, Sosin D N
While obtaining voluntary informed consent from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma and patients presenting with psychiatric symptomology who participate in clinical trials, it is necessary to remember not only about the rights and ethical standards, but also about an extremely vulnerable position of the participants due to their disease specificity. Changes in the mental status of the patients and principal problems of every patient need to be considered. In this article, the aspects of obtaining informed consent from patients with respiratory diseases such as bronchial asthma and COPD and those under psychiatric supervision are reviewed. Apart from general recommendations, every category of patients has its own specific features. Being aware of them will improve doctor-patient communication.
Received: 2022-01-22
Published online: 2022-03-30
DOI: 10.24075/medet.2022.042
Comments 0
VIEWS 100
View All
Submit Manuscript

Popular articles

Review The issues of classification and characterization of neurotropic agents in the treatment of patients with cerebrovascular diseases
Fedorov V N, Petrovskii A K, Vdovichenko V P, Zakharova M N, Arshinov A V
In developed countries, mortality from cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) is about 12%, which is second only to mortality from cardiovascular diseases. In order to make treatment of CVD successful, a complex approach to the problem is required with compensation for cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, rheological properties of blood, etc.), elimination of neurological and psychopathological syndromes, improvement of cerebral circulation and use of neurotropic agents. The use of neurotropic agents by a practicing physician is complicated due to the lack of a clear classification reflecting their position and significance in CVD treatment. It is suggested that taking into account the predominant mechanism of action targeting for a pathological process, neurotropic agents should be divided into 4 groups such as neuroprotectors, neurometabolics, nootropics and neurotrophic agents (direct activators of neutrophin synthesis in the brain). The last group is related to analogues of regulatory peptides and shares positive properties with medicinal agents from other groups: they have the properties of primary and secondary neuroprotectors, neurometabolics, and produce a positive effect on cognitive functions of a healthy and sick person. Heptapeptide Semax is a typical agent belonging to this group.
Received: 2022-01-20
Published online: 2022-03-30
DOI: 10.24075/medet.2022.036
Comments 0
VIEWS 112
Review Oxyethylammonium methylphenoxyacetate, immunomodulator and adaptogen: clinical use review
Rybachkova J V
Oxyethylammonium methylphenoxyacetate is an adaptogenic immunomodulator with a complex mechanism of action. It can be successfully used for treatment, prevention and restoration in case of flu and cold, and to improve working capacity in asthenia, including conditions developed following COVID‑19. Clinical investigation of the effect produced by oxyethylammonium methylphenoxyacetate demonstrates its effectiveness under extreme climate and geographic conditions, during physical and mental overload, exercise, viral infections, severe infectious pathology, and all diseases associated with a weakened immune system. Based on conducted clinical trials of oxyethylammonium methylphenoxyacetate, no adverse effects were found and good tolerability was observed. Due to good compatibility of oxyethylammonium methylphenoxyacetate with other agents, it can be included into complex rehabilitation programs as an independent or/and complementary agent. This increases effectiveness of the conducted treatment and improves the diagnosis.
Received: 2022-01-23
Published online: 2022-03-30
DOI: 10.24075/medet.2022.041
Comments 0
VIEWS 104