2012, Vol.15, No.2

Korean Journal of Medical Ethics 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 1.21

pISSN : 2005-8284 / eISSN : 2234-3598
https://journal.kci.go.kr/medethics

There was dispute on ‘baby box’ in the second half of 2011. In 2009, clergyman, Lee Jong-rak made a baby box on church wall. Actually, 26 new born babies were abandoned in the ‘baby box’. The babies who had disability were thrown out from the unmarried mothers with letters. If there was no baby box,the babies could die by hypothermia in the cold weather. But Ministry of health and welfare, and Gwanak Ward Office are requesting to remove baby box because it is illegal for non-authorized facility to look after baby. Baby box was installed to prevent from abandonment of baby in cold weather and risk. But it is on dispute between ‘protection of infant’ and ‘encouragement of abandonment’. Like dispute surrounding abortion or contraception, baby box is a complicated problem and it is not easy to conclude. It is a difficult subject that anybody cannot judge awkwardly. This is because the subject is related to human life. This thesis tried to evaluate this problem from ethical view. First, contradictory views are reviewed - the views are if baby box is for encouragement of abandonment, or if it is for protection of infant. Second, this problem is investigated from positions of Deontology and Teleology which are representative views of ethics. And this paper applies principles of modern medical ethics from the dispute to evaluate the problem. Finally, this subject is treated with from positions of personal ethic and social ethic.

In the era of personalized medicine, in which human biological materials are becoming more important,the demand for biobanks is increasing. However, as the research potential of biological materials made available through biobanks increases, concerns are growing over the processes and consequences of biobank technology. Accordingly, there are calls for the establishment of biobanks and the setting of ethical criteria for research involving biobanks. This article examines new ethical criteria for research involving biobanks using the concept of ethical responsibility presented by Hans Jonas.

Although informed consent was introduced as a method for respecting patient autonomy in the medical decision-making process, it fails to involve various contextual aspects of medical decisions. Informed consent presupposes personal rationality and only accepts choices made by the individual patient. Thus,if the family of an incompetent patient makes decisions on the patient’s behalf, those choices are not seen as autonomous. Accordingly, a new perspective is needed, one which strengthens patient autonomy and reflects the fact that, in countries such as Korea, a patient’s family members are properly regarded as proxy decision makers with the right to become involved in discussions and decisions concerning the patient’s medical treatment. Traditional shared decision-making is a collaborative process involving the patient and doctor. It excludes, not only the patient's family, but also ethical consultants that can act as mediators to help resolve any conflicts. This article critically analyzes the traditional shared decisionmaking process and then proposes a new shared decision-making model.