Finding their voices again: a media project offers a floor for vulnerable patients, clients and the socially deprived

Abstract

‘DU bist Radio’ (DBR) is an award winning [DBR has been awarded with the “Catholic Media Award of the German Bishops Conference, Prädikat WERTvoll” (2011), the Suisse “Media Prize Aargau/Solothurn” (2010), the German “Alternative Media Award” (2009) and was nominated for the “Prix Europa” (2009)] monthly radio format that goes on air on three Swiss radio stations. The purpose of this program which was first broadcast in 2009 is the development of a new media format which—without applying any journalistic (or other) filter and influence—conveys authenticity of expression amongst society’s most vulnerable fellow citizens such as patients, clients and the socially deprived. So-called marginal groups are encouraged to speak for themselves, as a possible paradigm case for encouraging the inclusion of patients’ and relatives’ “unfiltered” voices in general and in clinical ethics as well. Before handing over the microphone to the groups in focus, a team of journalists, educated in medical ethics, over a period of 4 days, teaches them on-site radio skills and craft. Once this task is completed and the actual production of the broadcast begins, the media crew does not exert any influence whatsoever on the content of the 1-h program. Thus, the final product is solely created and accounted for by the media-inexperienced participants, leading to unforeseen and often surprising results. It is discussed that the DBR approach of fostering authenticity of expression can serve as an enhancement to today’s respect and autonomy oriented field of medical ethics.

Ethics of the health-related internet of things: a narrative review

“…Reliance upon H-IoT data as a primary source of information about a patient's health can result in ignorance of aspects of the patient's health that cannot easily be monitored by H-IoT, such as their social, mental, and emotional state (Coeckelbergh 2013). 'Decontextualisation' of the patient's condition can occur as a result, wherein the patient loses some control over how her condition is presented and understood by clinicians and carers (Lupton 2013a;Coeckelbergh 2013;Stutzki et al 2013). The risk is particularly acute when face-to-face encounters conducive to empathetic and compassionate care (cf.…”

Designing the Health-related Internet of Things: Ethical Principles and Guidelines

“…Monitoring data can complicate assessments of the patient's conditions, which otherwise rely upon physical examination and tacit knowledge [92,93]. Ignorance of the patient's social, mental, and emotional state, or "decontextualisation" of the patient by stifling the patient's "voice" in clinical care, can be the result [92][93][94][95].…”