•  88
    Care of the older person and the value of human dignity
    with Gaëlle Fiasse, Lennart Nordenfelt, and Emilian Mihailov
    Bioethics 2023 (1): 1-8. 2023.
    As the world population is rapidly aging, stakeholders must address the care of the elderly with great concern. Also, loss of dignity is often associated with aging due to dementia, mobility problems and diminished functional autonomy. However, dignity is a polysemic term that is deemed useless by some ethicists. To counter this claim, we propose four concepts to define it better and make use accurately of this notion. These are human dignity, dignity of identity, dignities of excellence and att…Read more
  •  19
    Mapping ethical issues in the use of smart home health technologies to care for older persons: a systematic review
    with Nadine Andrea Felber, Yi Jiao Tian, Bernice Simone Elger, and Tenzin Wangmo
    BMC Medical Ethics 24 (1): 1-13. 2023.
    Background The worldwide increase in older persons demands technological solutions to combat the shortage of caregiving and to enable aging in place. Smart home health technologies (SHHTs) are promoted and implemented as a possible solution from an economic and practical perspective. However, ethical considerations are equally important and need to be investigated. Methods We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines to investigate if and how ethical questions are discusse…Read more
  •  1
    « Un soin inédit fait nouvellement partie de l’arsenal thérapeutique de la médecine occidentale. Presque un oxymore, l’aide médicale à mourir ne fait pas l’unanimité. Or, une nouvelle frontière est sur le point d’être transgressée. Parce que certains font l’erreur de considérer la perte de dignité comme possible, ils mettent de l’avant la mort comme le remède ultime aux souffrances des gens atteints de démence. On oublie alors que cette sensation de déchéance peut être soignée autrement. De plus…Read more
  •  8
    Bioethical Implications of Vulnerability and Politics for Healthcare in Ethiopia and The Ways Forward
    with Kirubel Manyazewal Mussie, Bernice Simone Elger, Mirgissa Kaba, and Isabelle Wienand
    Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 19 (4): 667-681. 2022.
    Vulnerability and politics are among the relevant and key topics of discussion in the Ethiopian healthcare context. Attempts by the formal bioethics structure in Ethiopia to deliberate on ethical issues relating to vulnerability and politics in healthcare have been limited, even though the informal analysis of bioethical issues has been present in traditional Ethiopian communities. This is reflected in religion, social values, and local moral underpinnings. Thus, the aim of this paper is to disc…Read more
  •  5
    The concept of social dignity as a yardstick to delimit ethical use of robotic assistance in the care of older persons
    with Nadine Andrea Felber, Athena McLean, and Tenzin Wangmo
    Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 25 (1): 99-110. 2021.
    With robots being introduced into caregiving, particularly for older persons, various ethical concerns are raised. Among them is the fear of replacing human caregiving. While ethical concepts like well-being, autonomy, and capabilities are often used to discuss these concerns, this paper brings forth the concept of social dignity to further develop guidelines concerning the use of robots in caregiving. By social dignity, we mean that a person’s perceived dignity changes in response to certain in…Read more
  •  11
    Court-Mandated Patients’ Perspectives on the Psychotherapist’s Dual Loyalty Conflict – Between Ally and Enemy
    with Helene Merkt, Tenzin Wangmo, Michael Liebrenz, Corinne Devaud Cornaz, and Bernice Elger
    Frontiers in Psychology 11. 2021.
    Background: Mental health professionals working in correctional contexts engage a double role to care and control. This dual loyalty conflict has repeatedly been criticized to impede the development of a high-quality alliance. As therapeutic alliance is a robust predictor of outcome measures of psychotherapy, it is essential to investigate the effects of this ethical dilemma. Methods: This qualitative interview study investigates patients’ perceptions of their therapists’ dual role conflict in c…Read more