New paths and bioethics

Abstract

Technological advances in health are diversifying and opening space for research and studies that aim at a future of hope, with new discoveries and scientific perspectives. This year brought new paths and a time of great challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic 1 .With its recent publications, Revista Bioética continues to update and expand knowledge on various relevant topics to ethics, life and the humanities in their universal breadth, in a bioethical vision inserted in different ethical and moral implications.The works that we publish in this issue present relevant themes, such as the teaching of bioethics, and bring reflections on the changes that have occurred in this context in the face of a health crisis, evaluating participation, collective production and purposes involving remote activities. Within the scope of actions and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, one article deals with guidance and access to mechanical ventilators, involving the bioethical bases in triage systems and intensive care units.Regarding the importance of teaching bioethics, one study shows the strengthening of the inclusion of the discipline of bioethics in the dentist's training matrix, and another deals with the issue of professional secrecy, confidentiality and ethics in the training of medical students.Palliative care was approached from several perspectives, such as: knowledge of patients with cancer on this topic, challenges of palliative sedation to control suffering, perception of health professionals, representation of this care for humanity, educational strategies involving health professionals, and neonatology and decisions involving palliative care.In addition, this issue also brings studies on spirituality, religiosity, quality of life, advance directives in the view of patients with cancer, compassion fatigue, strategies for coping with terminality, self-care, and death. We also highlight an article that deals with shared decision-making in situations of health vulnerability, a topic that raises many ethical and bioethical questions.With this brief disclosure of such challenging topics, we hope that this issue will present bioethics as a path of reflection and encouragement in the face of sensitive topics related to the health and dignity of human beings.In the pursuit of scientific values, we must rely on the principles of the humanities, with the appropriate and rational use of health technologies. As an example, we can mention artificial intelligence, which can be used, in accordance with ethics and bioethical principles, in decisions and dilemmas, guiding both the present and the hope for the future.Recently, the editorial team of Revista Bioética participated in the main event held in Brazil for scientific editors and professionals involved in the academic