Jungfraujoch and beyond: high altitude physiology and medicine

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.

During the first Swiss Research and Innovation Summit held on 17 March 2026 in Bern, experts from the scientific community, politics, administration, the business community and civil society discussed the role scientific expertise plays in politics and society. The purpose of this event was to promote and strengthen an understanding of the need for scientific consultation and mutual dialogue between the scientific community and society as a whole.