A set of emerging technologies is radically transforming health management, giving rise to the novel paradigm of Healthcare 5.0, which promises healthier societies. To ensure effective and equitable implementation of these technologies, it is crucial to guarantee ethical excellence throughout their research, development, and societal transfer.
In this context, IMDEA Materials Institute, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and Aalborg University, has carried out a systematic analysis of materials and technologies in the field of Healthcare 5.0. The study examines them in light of fundamental ethical principles such as beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for autonomy, and justice.
The study's purpose, schematically summarized by Prof. Andrés Díaz Lantada, principal investigator of the ‘Bioinspired, Smart and Living Materials’ group at IMDEA Materials Institute, highlights advanced health materials as key enablers for Healthcare 5.0. He emphasizes how incorporating ethical guidelines decisively contributes to maximizing the social impact and sustainability of these technologies.
Prof. Díaz Lantada stated, «the development of materials and technologies for health guided by ethical principles becomes more fundamental than ever, considering the extraordinary pace of scientific-technological advances and the challenges associated with incorporating artificial intelligence into the available technologies».
The study was developed in collaboration with Professor Mette Ebbesen from Aalborg University, an expert in techno-anthropology and the ethics of nano-/biomaterials. Her guidance was fundamental in understanding and applying the principles of biomedical ethics by Beauchamp and Childress.
This research adds to a fruitful series of ethical analyses jointly developed by Professors Mette Ebbesen and Andrés Díaz Lantada, advancing the understanding of ethical challenges associated with emerging technologies and advanced materials with the potential to transform society and healthcare.
Studies related to the ethics of tissue engineering and biomanufacturing are currently being developed, underscoring IMDEA Materials Institute's commitment to the ethical research, development, and implementation of materials and their derived technological solutions.
