Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences SAMS
Ineffectiveness and unlikelihood of benefit: dealing with the concept of futility in medicine
Ineffectiveness and unlikelihood of benefits in treatment are part of medicine. Often this topic is described by the generic term of medical futility. The counselling and support of patients and their relatives in situations where medical treatment may be ineffective is an inherent task of medicine. Involved professionals bear a special professional and ethical responsibility in this matter. In addition to the theoretical background, which critically examines the concept of futility, the publication illustrates concrete examples. The SAMS thus offers practical advice in the hope that this approach will lead to a fundamental reflection on how to deal with ineffectiveness and unlikelihood of benefit in medicine.
Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) (2021) Ineffectiveness and unlikelihood of benefit: dealing with the concept of futility in medicine. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (6).
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Lighthouse Programmes in Sustainability Research and Innovation
Wuelser G, Edwards P (2025)
Lighthouse Programmes in Sustainability Research and Innovation
Swiss Academies Reports 20 (4)Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Ethical guidelines for animal experiments
The Swiss Animal Welfare Act permits the use of animals for certain scientific purposes; at the same time, however, it requires that the dignity of animals be respected and their welfare protected. For researchers, reconciling these various societal interests can be challenging. The ethical guidelines for animal experiments (2025) are designed to clarify the margin of discretion left by the legislation and to encourage researchers to reflect on the handling of animals in their experiments. The decisive factors for updating the previous version from 2005 were new scientific knowledge and research methods on the one hand, as well as changes in the legal framework on the other.
