The new possibilities created by advances in medicine frequently raise ethical questions. For more than 50 years, the SAMS has published medical-ethical guidelines. They raise awareness among physicians and other health professionals about ethically demanding issues and provide specific guidance for medical practice. The guidelines are also used by authorities and courts to define the rules governing medical practice.
The medical-ethical guidelines of the SAMS are intended to serve as a guide for everyday practice. They help to reinforce ethical principles and values such as patient autonomy, justice and the principle of non-harm. The high level of recognition of the guidelines among health professionals is due to their professional nature: the expertise of the professionals, professional groups and patient and family representatives involved, as well as the meticulous drafting process, including public consultation, ensure their quality and broad support.
Procedure for developing medical-ethical guidelines
The Central Ethics Committee (CEC) of the SAMS identifies and discusses ethical problems in medicine and develops practical guidance. To prepare guidelines, the CEC appoints subcommittees comprised of carefully selected experts who follow clearly defined procedures. These include, for example, expert hearings and consultations, a public consultation, and approval by the CEC, Executive Board and Senate of the SAMS.
Current guidelines
All current guidelines can be downloaded under Publications. Print versions in French and German can be ordered free of charge. Guidelines that are no longer applicable are available in the online archive. Information on guidelines in preparation can be found below.
Guidelines under development
Legal framework of the guidelines
The SAMS medical-ethical guidelines are ethical standards established by a private foundation. The guidelines do not have direct binding legal effect, but they are of great practical and conceptual importance. A legal opinion published in 2024 on behalf of the SAMS provides a comprehensive description of the complex legal framework within which the SAMS guidelines are created and have their effect. A summary of the main points and the full report can be found on the subpage.
History of the guidelines
For more than 50 years, the SAMS has developed medical-ethical guidelines. The first guidelines were published in 1969. They dealt with the «diagnosis» of brain death and followed the first heart transplant. These SAMS guidelines are a good example of the Academy’s guidelines-related activities in its early days. The following article describes these activities and subsequent developments in detail.
The research project Governing by Values: Zur Geschichte der Medizin- und Bioethik in der Schweiz, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) , sheds light on the role of the SAMS and the medical-ethical guidelines. First results can be found in the focus article in the SAMS Bulletin 4/2023:
Symposium «Medical-ethical guidelines in transition»
The medical-ethical guidelines of the SAMS are at the crossroads of medicine, ethics, law and health policy. Together with the University of Bern, the Academy organized a symposium on the significance, legitimacy and further development of the guidelines. The starting point was the University's SNSF project «Governing by Values», which examined the history of the SAMS guidelines from a historical and legal perspective. In addition to the project research findings, the current relevance and utility of the guidelines were reflected.
Case studies on guidelines