Work

Expanding the Taxonomy of Ethical Issues in Surgical Innovation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Surgical innovation poses significant ethical challenges. Previous work has grouped these challenges under four categories: potential harms to patients; compromised informed consent; unfair allocation of healthcare resources; and conflicts of interest. We argue that recent technological developments in surgery warrant the addition of three new ethical challenges to the existing taxonomy: allocating responsibility; impact on relationships; and risks to privacy. Although these challenges predate developments in robotic surgery and Artificial Intelligence, nonetheless these technologies highlight and make more urgent the need to consider these categories and identify how the concerns they raise may be addressed.

Source: Bioethics

DOI: 10.1111/bioe.70107

Authors: Jane Johnson, Katrina Hutchison, Wendy Rogers

Institution: Macquarie University

Language: English

Topic: Ethics and bioethics in healthcare

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,550

Funders: Macquarie University, Australian Research Council