Jungfraujoch and beyond: high altitude physiology and medicine

From graphic design to bioengineering, Swiss Young Academy speaker Nawal Kinany has had a unique career in which transdisciplinarity isn't a concept, but a way of experiencing and sharing science.

Digital applications are increasingly being used in medical practice. They can improve the quality of care, promise greater efficiency, and open up new forms of collaboration. At the same time, these developments confront us with new medical-ethical challenges. The Central Ethics Committee (CEC) of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) is currently addressing questions related to digital surveillance and clinical information systems (CIS) in order to contribute to a responsible use in practice.

The concept of therapeutic futility is well established in somatic medicine. The SAMS has explored the topic in depth, particularly in the context of the pandemic, and published its thoughts on the concept of futility in medicine in 2021. However, questions surrounding ineffectiveness and futility in psychiatric care were left out. An international and interdisciplinary group of experts has closed this gap and published a consensus paper, which is recommended reading.