A new Italian information resource on Bioethics and its integration with other European systems

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A new Italian information resource on
Bioethicsand its integration with other European
systems

• Maurella Della Seta and Scilla Pizzarelli
• Documentation Service
• Italian National Institute of Health

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Introduction

• Developments in science, medicine and technology
• Ethical dilemmas
• Information tools can ensure the exchange of
  knowledge and ideas and encourage moral reflection

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Definition of Bioethics

• A field of study concerned with value questions
  that arise in health care, in the professional
  patient relationship and in biomedical research
• Medical ethics (including rights and duties of
  health professionals and patients)
• Social impact of biomedical, behavioural, genetic
  research and technology.

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Where can I find information on Bioethics?

• Bioethics has an interdisciplinary nature,
  involving science, law and philosophy
• Updated and reliable information is required not
  only by scientists, but also by citizens and
  patients
• Information is scattered through a variety of
  sources

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Our Project

• Started in 2001
• Aim implementing an integrated system for data
  collection and exchange of documents related to
  bioethics
• Survey through a questionnaire sent to about 200
  institutions, assessing the state of the art of
  Italian information resources
• Analysis of available Italian Web resources

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SIBIL the web sitewww.sibil.iss.it

• SIBIL collects data from printed and electronic
  sources
• Information on courses, educational programs
  events and congresses
• News section on the national ethical debate
• Links to other relevant web sites

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SIBIL home page
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The SIBIL Database

• Almost 5,000 records
• References from
• Journal articles (from 84 journal titles)
• Books and book chapters
• Laws and regulations (some of them in full text)
  
• Selection of international legislation
• Electronic resources
• Ethical committee opinions
• Ethical guidelines

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The SIBIL database home page
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Record sample Journal article
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The Refine Search form
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Monograph record
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Book Chapter
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An indexing toolthe Italian Bioethics Thesaurus

• Developed by a team of bioethicists, physicians
  and information professionals
• Derived from Bioethics Thesaurus - US Kennedy
  Institute of Ethics (originally including about
  800 terms)
• It includes now over 1600 descriptors linked by
  semantic and hierarchical relationships
• Scope notes in Italian

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Italian English version
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Bioethics debate in Italy

• Assisted reproductive technologies
• Artificial Insemination, Cloning, In Vitro
  Fertilization and Surrogate Mothers
• Death and dying
• Euthanasia, Advance directives, Resuscitation
  orders
• Environmental Ethics
• Emerging topic in Italy

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SIBIL and its possibleEuropean integration - 1

• EURETHNET (European Information Network Ethics in
  Medicine and Biotechnology) 2002-2004
• Development of an information network integrating
  databases and other information resources in the
  field of European ethics in medicine and
  biotechnology.
• Internet portal, database network, multilingual
  thesaurus

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SIBIL and its possibleEuropean integration -2

• 2004 - FASTER - Feasibility study for an Advanced
  Systematic documentation, information and
  communication Tool in the field of Ethical issues
  in science, Research and technology
• Infrastructure for a European network

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SIBIL in the framework of aEuropean Network

• With a view to European integration, the SIBIL
  database has been conceived as a flexible tool
  for international cooperation
• Important steps in this direction
• choice of a software allowing data exchange
• English translation of the web site and of the
  thesaurus

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The SIBIL team