Evidence-based ethics--what it should be and what it shouldn't

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Medical Ethics
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Evidence-based medicine (EBM) emphasizes high-quality empirical information for healthcare decisions.
• The emerging field of "evidence-based ethics" lacks clear definitions and standards for empirical data quality.
• This necessitates a systematic analysis of the term and its application in ethical contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze the concept of "evidence-based" and its characteristics.
• To evaluate the methodological and practical challenges of applying "evidence-based ethics".
• To address the normative implications and ethical concerns arising from the use of "evidence" in ethics.

Main Methods:

• Systematic analysis of the general concept "evidence-based" by presenting four descriptive and two normative characteristics.
• Framework development for assessing evidence-based ethics based on these characteristics.
• Critical appraisal of empirical ethics methodologies, particularly interview research and social science methods.

Main Results:

• The superiority of "evidence" over other empirical information has normative implications for decision-making in medicine and ethics.
• Lack of consensus on differentiating high-quality from low-quality empirical information in ethics poses ethical concerns.
• Current empirical ethics lacks gold standards for study design quality assessment and findings appraisal.

Conclusions:

• The term "evidence-based ethics" should be discouraged until consensus on data quality assessment is reached.
• Systematic reviews of empirical studies, including critical appraisal, are recommended for ethical decision-making.
• Further development of methodological standards is crucial for the responsible integration of empirical data in ethics.