[Dialogue between bioethics and evidence- based medicine, a narrative ethics perspective]

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Medical Philosophy
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is the current standard in Western medicine, emphasizing scientific evidence over intuition in clinical decision-making.
• While EBM offers documented benefits, it faces criticism for potential reductionism and neglecting patient-specific context and the physician-patient relationship.
• These limitations can precipitate bioethical conflicts within healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the interplay between Evidence-Based Medicine and Bioethics.
• To identify and analyze ethical conflicts arising from EBM implementation.
• To examine these conflicts through the lens of Narrative Ethics, as proposed by Paul Ricoeur.

Main Methods:

• Literature review examining the relationship between EBM and Bioethics.
• Analysis of ethical conflicts through the framework of Narrative Ethics.

Main Results:

• EBM's emphasis on scientific evidence may conflict with the nuanced, individual aspects of patient care.
• Potential for reductionism in EBM can lead to overlooking crucial contextual and relational factors.
• Narrative Ethics offers a framework to address the ethical challenges posed by EBM's limitations.

Conclusions:

• The integration of EBM requires careful consideration of its ethical implications.
• Bioethical conflicts can arise from EBM's potential to de-emphasize individual patient narratives and contextual factors.
• Narrative Ethics provides a valuable perspective for navigating these complex ethical dilemmas in clinical practice.