Christian Lenk – författare

Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) is feared to become a kind of cook-book medicine that has nothing to do with the traditional skills and ethics.

This volume shows the contribution EBM makes and might make to medical practice and health policy. It describes as many viewpoints as possible with a focus on the ethical issues that are at stake in this process.

It shows how EBM has developed from an internal medical issue to an instrument for health policy. It is the outcome of the European Project "Ethical Issues of Evidence Based Practice in Medicine and Health Care" and gives insight into the ethical background of the debate on the role of EBM in various areas of medicine, including clinical practice, medical education, medical research, health policy and medical sociology.

Das vorliegende Handbuch liefert einen konzisen Überblick und eine verlässliche Orientierungshilfe bei ethischen und rechtlichen Entscheidungsprozessen in der Forschung am Menschen. Es dient dabei einerseits als eine Dokumentation des Status quo, andererseits aber auch als Diskussionsgrundlage für zukünftige Entwicklungen. An dem Handbuch haben Praktiker aus Forschung und medizinischer Behandlung, Ethiker und Philosophen, Medizinhistoriker, Rechtswissenschaftler, Pharmakologen, Strahlentherapeuten, Pädiater, Chirurgen und Psychiater mitgearbeitet, die für eine hohe Detailkenntnis und Praxisrelevanz der gesammelten Beiträge bürgen. Das Buch gibt Ethikkommissionsmitgliedern, Forschern und Antragstellern bei Ethikkommissionen einen Einblick in Krite­rien und Entscheidungsmechanismen der Forschungsethik und macht Entscheidun­gen und Beurteilungen von Ethikkommissionen besser verständlich. Darüber hinaus liefert es einen Beitrag zu einer Harmonisierung der bestehenden Praxis.

The research field of biobanks and tissue research is highly promising. Many projects around the globe are involved in the collection of human tissue and health data for research purposes. These initiatives are driven by the perspective of decisive breakthroughs in the knowledge of the genetic pathways involved in widespread diseases. However, there are considerable ethical and legal challenges to be considered as well. These challenges encompass the use of body material for research purposes, the misuse of genetic and other health data by third parties, trust in science and medicine, concerns regarding privacy, use of genetic data for forensic applications by the state and the police, and regulatory issues. This volume is divided into three parts: the inclusion of the public, the rights of donors and patients, examples and recommendations for the future of tissue research. It presents a comprehensive overview of the most important topics in the field by renowned scholars in medical ethics and biolaw.