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Editor-in-Chief Melissa Norton, MD
Medical Editor Jigisha Patel, MRCP PhD
In-house Editor Natalie Pafitis MSc
Welcome to BMC Medical Ethics published by BioMed Central
BMC Medical Ethics is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in relation to the ethical aspects of biomedical research and clinical practice, including professional choices and conduct, medical technologies, healthcare systems and health policies.
BMC Medical Ethics (ISSN 1472-6939) is indexed/tracked/covered by PubMed, MEDLINE, CAS, EMBASE, Scopus, Cinahl, PsycINFO, Thomson Reuters (ISI) and Google Scholar.
Featured articles
BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :18
Dutch physicians’ reports of euthanasia or assisted suicide can lack detail on how well informed and willing the patient was, but review committees primarily consider the unbearable nature of suffering and the consultation of an independent physician.
BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :10
People with potentially stigmatizing conditions such as alcoholism give similar consent to those with other illnesses for the use of their health data, and consent is more likely for biological samples or linked health data use than personal information.
BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :9
Informed public debate regarding the non-medical use of psychostimulants is required, as the current media slant towards a discussing the beneficial effects of methylphenidate for performance enhancement could serve to entice unprescribed use.
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Debate
How old are you? Newborn gestational age discriminates neonatal resuscitation practices in the Italian debate Emanuela Turillazzi, Vittorio Fineschi BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :19 (12 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Reporting of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands: descriptive study Hilde Buiting, Johannes van Delden, Bregje Onwuteaka-Philpsen, Judith Rietjens, Mette Rurup, Donald van Tol, Joseph Gevers, Paul van der Maas, Agnes van der Heide BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :18 (27 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Microbicides Development Programme: Engaging the community in the standard of care debate in a vaginal microbicide trial in Mwanza, Tanzania Andrew Vallely, Charles Shagi, Shelley Lees, Katherine Shapiro, Joseph Masanja, Lawi Nikolau, Johari Kazimoto, Selephina Soteli, Claire Moffat, John Changalucha, Sheena McCormack, Richard J Hayes BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :17 (9 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Debate
A developing country response to Lavery et al . "In global health research, is it legitimate to stop clinical trials early on account of their opportunity costs?" Douglas R Wassenaar, Gita Ramjee BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :16 (30 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Assessment of the capacity to consent to treatment in patients admitted to acute medical wards Sylfa Fassassi, Yanik Bianchi, Friedrich Stiefel, G BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :15 (2 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Debate
Informed recruitment in partner studies of HIV transmission: an ethical issue in couples research Louise-Anne McNutt, Elisa J Gordon, Anneli Uusk BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :14 (27 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Impact of social stigma on the process of obtaining informed consent for genetic research on podoconiosis: a qualitative study Fasil Tekola, Susan Bull, Bobbie Farsides, Melanie J Newport, Adebowale Adeyemo, Charles N Rotimi, Gail Davey BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :13 (22 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Debate
Ethical issues relating to the banking of umbilical cord blood in Mexico V Moises Serrano-Delgado, Barbara Novello-Garza, Edith Valdez-Martinez BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :12 (14 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Post-consent assessment of dental subjects' understanding of informed consent in oral health research in Nigeria Olaniyi O Taiwo, Nancy Kass BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :11 (1 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Consent for use of personal information for health research: Do people with potentially stigmatizing health conditions and the general public differ in their opinions? Donald J Willison, Valerie Steeves, Cathy Charles, Lisa Schwartz, Jennifer Ranford, Gina Agarwal, Ji Cheng, Lehana Thabane BMC Medical Ethics 2009, 10 :10 (24 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Research article
Establishing specialized health services for professional consultation in euthanasia: experiences in the Netherlands and Belgium Yanna Van Wesemael, Joachim Cohen, Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Johan Bilsen, Luc Deliens BMC Health Services Research 2009, 9 :220 (4 [Abstract ] [Provisional PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Review
The clinical investigator-subject relationship: a contextual approach
David B. Resnik Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 2009, 4 :16 (3 [Abstract ] [Provisional PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Review
Setting and meeting priorities in Indigenous health research in Australia and its application in the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health Johanna M Monk, Kevin G Rowley, Ian PS Anderson Health Research Policy and Systems 2009, 7 :25 (20 [Abstract ] [Full Text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Case report
Tomophobia, the phobic fear caused by an invasive medical procedure - an emerging anxiety disorder: a case report Markus Schmid, Robert C Wolf, Roland W Freudenmann, Carlos Sch Journal of Medical Case Reports 2009, 3 :131 (18 [Abstract ] [Full Text ] [PDF ]
Research
The ideal of equal health revisited: definitions and measures of inequity in health should be better integrated with theories of distributive justice Ole Frithjof Norheim, Yukiko Asada International Journal for Equity in Health 2009, 8 :40 (18 [Abstract ] [Full Text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Commentary
The impact of networks on clinical trials in the United Kingdom Sze May Ng, Alan Michael Weindling Trials 2009, 10 :100 (4 [Abstract ] [Full Text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Analytic perspective
Debunking the claim that abstinence is usually healthier for smokers than switching to a low-risk alternative, and other observations about anti-tobacco-harm-reduction arguments Carl V Phillips Harm Reduction Journal 2009, 6 :29 (3 [Abstract ] [Full Text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Commentary
A new strategic phase for genomic medicine in UK health services Hilary Burton, Caroline F Wright, Ron Zimmern Genome Medicine 2009, 1 :93 (12 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Correspondence
Planning for translational research in genomics Naomi Hawkins, Jantina de Vries, Paula Boddington, Jane Kaye, Catherine Heeney Genome Medicine 2009, 1 :87 (29 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
Commentary
Gene patents and personalized medicine - what lies ahead? Subhashini Chandrasekharan, Robert Cook-Deegan Genome Medicine 2009, 1 :92 (28 [Abstract ] [Full text ] [PDF ] [PubMed ] [Related articles ]
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