Philosophy Ethics and Humanities in Medicine最新文献

Background: In recent years, the renewal of soul-centred shamanic soul retrieval theories has provided various theoretical interpretations of the shamanic soul retrieval phenomenon and has exacerbated the "explanatory gap" found in "mind-mater" dualism. However, these theories cannot explain the body-centred turn of modern Chinese shamans under the influence of the body revitalization movement and their unique soul retrieval process.

Methods: Using the phenomenology of the body as a working platform, this paper uses the three body states between body schema and body image as a case study of modern Chinese shamanic soul retrieval.

Results: The study of the three processes of soul loss, evocation and return shows that soul retrieval is not a purely spiritual mystical event or a purely material and scientific event but rather a body technique for shamans to adjust, configure, and reposition the dislocated state of the patient's body while temporarily sharing a body (einleibung) with the patient.

Conclusions: This paper traces a discernible shift toward body in contemporary Chinese shamanic soul-retrieval practices. Through the analysis of select ritual case studies and the application of Schmitz's concept of Einleibung, we seek to delineate an interpretive "body-situation" einleibung mechanism that moves beyond conventional mind-matter dualism. Ultimately, this work aims to advance scholarly dialogue regarding how contemporary shamans negotiate the semantics of illness and healing through "body-situation" einleibung mechanism in present-day China.

As China's population ages, the lack of resources for elder care and the incapacity of adult children to care for their aging parents in the "4-2-1" family structure have emerged as major concerns. A potential solution to the societal issues surrounding elder care in the future is the deployment of care robots into homes to assist or support adult children in fulfilling their caregiving duties. There are two philosophical issues with the use of nursing robots in children's elder care duties, though: In what ways might the anthropomorphic traits of machines surpass the cognitive limits of conventional identification recognition? What destructive threats to China's ancient Confucian system, which is based on filial piety, does human-machine interaction present? The functional location of robots in home-based elderly care systems is the empirical emphasis of this paper, which uses China's 9073 elderly care model. In addition to offering a dynamic ethical framework, it explores the duality of their identity recognition-Intrinsic self-identification and extrinsic Social Identity. This framework contributes to governance innovation in an aging society by emphasizing a three-pronged approach to harmonizing tool rationality and humanistic ideals from the perspectives of technical flexibility, intergenerational shared responsibilities, and cultural adaptability.

The Almajiri system, historically rooted in Northern Nigeria's precolonial Islamic scholarship, has devolved into a complex humanitarian crisis. Once a revered educational tradition, the system is now associated with street begging, child neglect, disease vulnerability, and radicalization risks. This paper critically examines the historical evolution and current realities of the Almajiri system, highlighting how colonial disruption, post-colonial policy failures, and socio-economic inequalities have transformed it into a breeding ground for child vulnerability. The analysis reveals a range of adverse health outcomes, including malnutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and untreated mental health conditions. The paper also underscores the system's link to broader legal and security concerns, including violations of child rights, susceptibility to recruitment by extremist groups, and potential global health risks such as antimicrobial resistance. Despite numerous reform efforts, entrenched cultural norms, governance deficits, and poor implementation continue to hinder sustainable solutions. Addressing the Almajiri crisis requires culturally sensitive reforms rooted in historical understanding, public health imperatives, legal accountability, and multisectoral collaboration. Without urgent and sustained intervention, the Almajiri system will remain a major barrier to national development and global health security.

Background: The concept of medical futility has exposed the medical staff to many complicated conflicts. Through identifying some of these conflicts, it will be possible to have control over such situations and make plans for managing them better. The present study was conducted to determine the perception of futile care and the reasons behind it among the patients at end-of-life stages from care providers' perspective.

Methods: This research is an analytical descriptive study which was conducted in Dezful in Iran on 308 care providers including physicians, nurses, and medical and nursing interns, in 2022. The data collection tools included 3 areas: demographic variables, investigating the perception of futile care, and investigating the reasons behind futile care.

Results: The mean score of perception of futile care was 103.20 ± 32.89 and the mean scores of the reasons behind providing futile care, 118.03 ± 26.09. A significant correlation was observed between the mean scores of the questionnaire for perception of futile care and the reasons behind providing futile care among end-of-life patients (P-value = 0.000, r = 0.465).

Conclusions: Based on the findings, almost half of the care providers had a moderate perception of futile care and the reasons behind providing it. The reasons behind providing futile care mentioned by the participants, as well as the positive relationship between the level of perception and the level of education, point out the need for training courses to become more familiar with the concept of futile care and change care providers' perspectives and attitudes towards end-of-life care.

In Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life, Albert Borgman puts forth the "device paradigm" as characteristic of the way we interact with the world in our technological society. He argues that devices, while liberating and disburdening us from some effort, also result in a lack of physical and social engagement. In this essay I apply Borgman's device paradigm to the electronic health record as an example of the device paradigm in healthcare, and argue that engagement and caring, two essential components of the doctor-patient relationship, are harmed by the EHR.

Introduction: This study explored the logical underpinnings of medical reasoning, focusing on the integration of abduction, deduction, and induction within clinical decision-making. It aimed to highlight the role of abduction in generating hypotheses, particularly in complex cases that defy standard protocols, and to examine the synergy between human expertise and AI-assisted tools in enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

Methods: The research employed a qualitative approach, analyzing philosophical theories and integrating them with clinical case studies. The study examined the interplay of logical processes in medical diagnostics and the application of abduction in rare and novel cases. Additionally, the potential of AI-assisted tools to support clinical reasoning and reduce diagnostic noise was explored.

Results: Abduction was identified as a critical yet often underappreciated element in medical reasoning essential for hypothesis generation. Deduction refines hypotheses against established medical knowledge, while induction validates decisions through empirical data. AI-assisted tools were found to enhance diagnostic accuracy by reducing noise, although they did not engage in the musement or genuine abductions that characterize human clinical reasoning.

Discussion: The study concluded that a triadic approach to clinical reasoning, incorporating abduction, deduction, and induction, is essential for effective medical diagnostics. In particular, abduction plays a pivotal role in navigating the complexities of clinical decision-making. The integration of AI tools can reduce noise and improve diagnostic processes, but the essential human elements of insight and judgment remain irreplaceable in patient care.

Medical professionals have been portrayed as hard-working and serious individuals in most Egyptian dramas. Recent Egyptian TV series have portrayed medical service providers, highlighting different aspects of their personalities. The present paper adopts an approach that combines the studies of humor and language to investigate the comedic representation of medical professionals in contemporary Egyptian television TV drama, with special reference to a recent TV series called Balto (2023). Within the framework of humor theories of incongruity and superiority, this paper aims to analyze elements of the comedic portrayal of health professionals in the selected TV series, Balto, to investigate how humor is employed to both humanize the long-idealized depiction of doctors as well as critique societal perceptions of representatives of the medical sector in Egypt. The paper particularly focuses on analyzing how the protagonist and other medical professionals practice their work, exercise managerial power, and operate/function with their peers and patients within a small remote health unit.

Disability/illness is an enigma that we experience but whose implications we have not fully fathomed. One's sense of self is impacted by disability/ illness. Autopathographies gave people with disability/ chronic illness a chance to share their life with a disability or a chronic illness, which also reflects on identity. Moreover, identity is influenced by social stigma as well as gender. This paper examines the impact of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) on the life and sense of self of the Kuwaiti writer and scholar, Shahd Alshammari's The paper also analyzes the relation between disability, gender and race drawing attention to the impact of narration in helping in the process of self-discovery after being inflicted with MS.

Background: Euthanasia is a polarizing topic in healthcare, particularly in Iran, where Islamic principles emphasizing the sanctity of life shape ethical perspectives. Understanding the attitudes of Iranian healthcare providers toward euthanasia and the factors influencing these views is critical, given the cultural and religious context. The primary objective of this study was to systematically identify and synthesize the key factors influencing healthcare providers' attitudes toward euthanasia in Iran.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Magiran, and SID databases up to March 10, 2025. Inclusion criteria encompassed observational studies reporting quantitative data on euthanasia attitudes among Iranian healthcare providers. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Due to heterogeneity in study designs and measurement tools, a narrative synthesis was performed.

Results: Of 595 identified records, 36 studies involving 7,790 participants met inclusion criteria. Attitudes toward euthanasia were predominantly cautious or negative, with stronger opposition among older providers, females, and those with deep religious beliefs. Younger age, male gender, clinical experience, and exposure to terminal patients correlated with more positive attitudes. Religious and cultural factors, particularly Islamic teachings, were significant barriers to acceptance, while urban settings and higher education were linked to neutral or mixed views.

Conclusion: Iranian healthcare providers' attitudes toward euthanasia reflect a complex interplay of religious, cultural, and professional influences. These findings underscore the need for enhanced palliative care and ethical training in Iran's healthcare system to address end-of-life dilemmas while respecting cultural boundaries.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.