The paucity of ethical analysis in allergology

Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology

Jason Behrmann¹ 

[1] Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, McGill University, 3487 Peel Street, 2nd floor, Montréal H3A 1W7, Canada

关键词: Knowledge transfer;    ELSI;    Health policy;    Literature review;    Ethics;    Asthma;    Allergy;   

Others  :  792381
DOI  :  10.1186/1710-1492-9-5

 received in 2012-08-23, accepted in 2013-01-17,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

While a growing body of research is uncovering the aetiology and effective treatments for allergy, research that assess the broader ethical implications of this disease is lacking significantly. This article will demonstrate both the paucity of academic research concerning ethical implications in allergy and explain why ethical analysis is integral to formulating effective health strategies for allergic disease. An exhaustive literature search of publications in French and English identified less than 35 academic articles focussed on the topic of ethics and allergy; this is a miniscule number when compared to the amount of articles published on ethical issues related to other chronic illnesses, such as obesity. It is important to demonstrate to allergy specialists the need for, and utility of, further incorporating ethical analyses in allergology; the current success of Ethical, Legal, Social Implications (ELSI) research programmes in human genetics and nanotechnology will serve as notable examples. Indeed, future research and innovation in allergy will undoubtedly encounter ethical dilemmas and the allergology community should play a significant role in helping to address these issues. However, incorporating ethical analyses in allergology does not imply that the allergology community must acquire extensive knowledge in bioethics; instead, interdisciplinary research that incorporates expertise from allergology and bioethics would enable allergy specialists to advance critical knowledge development in this largely overlooked domain of study.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Behrmann; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 7.

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