The issue of balance between research and treatment in clinical trials conduct has been surrounded by controversies. Scientific characteristics of trials may compromise medical care available to participants, while conceiving research participation as having therapeutic value may foster the...

Since ethical review practice has developed in relation to specific regulatory regimes and local contexts, it cannot be understood without paying attention to the institutional context of ethical review practices. We believe the tendency towards strong central governance and standardization in...

This study explored the rather rapid adoption of a new surgical device — the da Vinci robot — in the Netherlands despite the high costs and its controversial clinical benefits. We used the concept ‘affordances’ as a conceptual-analytic tool to refer to the perceived promises, symbolic...

Over the past years, one of the most discussed topics in policy debates on genetics has been the use of genetic testing in insurance. Many of these debates have been rather speculative and abstract. In a recent contribution to this journal, Kaufert therefore urged for "a proper research agenda"...

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, predictive forms of medicine, largely associated with genetics, have become increasingly prominent. This has given rise to questions about the social consequences of this development, for example with regard to the distribution of health care...

The literature shows that genetic testing could stimulate solidarity among family members, but also lead to major conflicts. To prevent negative effects, clinical geneticists and ethicists have stressed the importance of 'good communication' within families. In this qualitative study, we...

In ‘active welfare states’, labour participation is regarded essential for being part of and contributing to society. In the striving for an increase in labour participation of people who were considered (partly) disabled for work, not ‘disabilities’, but ‘abilities’ are put centre...