August 20 - 26 from 2pm to 5pm
(Except for Sunday, August 23: 3pm to 6pm)

Location: Hauptschule Alpbach
Language: English

Chairpersons:

Jacek JASSEM, Head, Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdansk
Christoph ZIELINSKI, Head, Clinical Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of Vienna

Content:

This seminar will cover a variety of aspects including the base on which medical decisions are made depending on evidence, ethics and good clinical practice, the generation of a sound base for the advancement of knowledge, the generation of trust in the system as well as trust in progress in the daily practice. Trust in the system and in the capabilities of doctors and scientists lies at the core of our societies. Hence, losing that trust of consumers and patients can amount to a severe damage for companies and health care providers (e.g. the Contergan scandal, Vioxx and statins, medical errors of doctors). Closely linked to the issue of trust is the question about ethics in medicine. How far do we dare to go? How do the professionals deal with the pressure to combine cutting-edge research with ethic integrity? How do professional associations and the public system assure that the trust is not undermined? These topics shall be discussed by way of presentations by experts and discussions with the participants.