Digitalisation is having a lasting impact on medical practice. Digital applications can improve the quality of care, support processes and open up new forms of collaboration. At the same time, they present healthcare professionals with new medical-ethical, legal and practical questions. The Central Ethics Committee (CEC) of the SAMS reflects on these developments and contributes to their responsible integration into clinical practice.
Medicine is among the fields undergoing particularly profound processes of digital transformation. They promise concrete benefits: more efficient and cost-saving workflows, improved quality in diagnostics and therapy, and better patient involvement in medical decision-making. At the same time, they raise fundamental ethical questions— for example, concerning the protection of patient autonomy, responsibility in clinical decision-making, and shaping the doctor-patient relationship.
To responsibly leverage the opportunities of digitalisation in medicine, it is necessary to carefully reflect on the risks and address the ethical issues involved.
Position statements in preparation
On behalf of the CEC, two position statements are currently under preparation:
Digital surveillance in inpatient care
Clinical information systems (coming soon)
For further study