RESUMEN
Bioelectronic medicine (BEM) offers exciting opportunities to treat diseases such as movement disorders and refractory inflammatory disease. The many variations of BEM allow for noninvasive aspects of treatment that might eliminate or reduce the need for pharmaceuticals; therefore, the term "electroceuticals" may be suitable. BEM has been effective for movement disorders and improvement of prosthetic devices. Based on this implication, there is an allowance to impact many focus areas that include but are not limited to autoimmune disease, sensory motor conditions, and neurological conditions. There are a wide array of ethical issues that relate to BEM, which include informed consent, research ethics, innovation, academic-industry relationships, intellectual property, and the conundrum that needs to be addressed when altering the brain such as the issues of autonomy and free beneficence and social justice. The major goal is to heighten awareness of ethical issues and facilitate a proactive ethical approach regarding BEM research.
Asunto(s)
Biotecnología/ética , Electrónica Médica/ética , Ética en Investigación , Beneficencia , Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica , Humanos , Cultura Organizacional , Justicia Social/éticaAsunto(s)
Tecnología Biomédica/instrumentación , Tecnología Biomédica/tendencias , Electrónica Médica/instrumentación , Electrónica Médica/tendencias , Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles/tendencias , Tecnología Biomédica/economía , Biometría/instrumentación , Vestuario , Electrónica Médica/economía , Electrónica Médica/ética , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Materiales Manufacturados/economía , Pacientes/psicología , Plásticos/economía , Docilidad , Embarazo , Privacidad , Prótesis e Implantes , Piel , Teléfono Inteligente , Telemedicina/economía , Telemedicina/ética , Telemedicina/instrumentación , Telemedicina/tendencias , Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles/economía , Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles/éticaRESUMEN
This article reviews the use of implantable radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags in humans, focusing on the VeriChip (VeriChip Corporation, Delray Beach, FL) and the associated VeriMed patient identification system. In addition, various nonmedical applications for implanted RFID tags in humans have been proposed. The technology offers important health and nonhealth benefits, but raises ethical concerns, including privacy and the potential for coercive implantation of RFID tags in individuals. A national discussion is needed to identify the limits of acceptable use of implantable RFID tags in humans before their use becomes widespread and it becomes too late to prevent misuse of this useful but ethically problematic technology.