For those readers puzzled by the new look, this is the same issue in Medical Ethics that for the last four years has presented debates, comments and reports on health care and medical ethics. We hope the new format encourages more people to read about, and react to, a subject which concerns them so intimately.
The year begins with a discussion on a matter which provokes strong reactions from both physicians and patients: the second opinion. Under what circumstances does a patient have a right to demand a second opinion‘? Are physicians justified in taking offence when their patients visit another doctor without informing them? Does it make sense to have an independent ‘second opinion’ clinic in India? This discussion provides food for thought.
Does the news on cloning indicate that scientific research is going out of control? Read another point of view.
The health establishment’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic has provoked extensive discussion on its ethical implications, particularly in reference to developing countries. A collection of articles raises some of these questions.