By: Jennifer Chevinsky
Bioethics is a field that
should matter to everyone. Whether you
are a bioethicist, healthcare professional, student, patient, or member of the
general public, you will encounter topics such as organ donation, body image,
and end of life care. You will have decisions to make when you walk into your
healthcare provider’s office, whether you choose to follow a treatment plan, or
refuse traditional medicine. Ethical
questions are not always easy or straightforward, but having an opportunity to
join with individuals from different fields and with varying levels of expertise
can encourage a broader understanding of a multitude of aspects that alone, one
may not have considered.
BioethxChat is
a live tweetchat account, started in October of 2013 by @jchevinsky to reach an interdisciplinary group of students,
professionals, and members of the general public. Live chats are hosted every
Monday at 8:30PM EST, and cover a large range of disciplines, but specifically
focus on the intersection of science and ethics. The chat has gained a reputation of asking
‘the hard questions,’ and encouraging open, honest, and respectful discourse. The goal of each chat is to unpack the
ethical aspects of a number of complicated topics within a particular theme,
helping individuals to reach better-informed positions.
In the short time that
BioethxChat has existed, ‘#Bioethx’ has been called “one of the ‘alwaystrending’ influential hashtags in healthcare on Twitter,” and was
also included in George Washington University Masters in Health
Administration’s list of “Top 5 Twitter Chats for Health Administrators.”
With the verification of the ‘Bioethx’ hashtag and addition to Symplur’s
Healthcare Hashtag project, individuals can access transcripts,
analytics, and other data about the chat for free.
Additionally, the chat has
been a great platform to join with experts and activists to discuss important
ethical issues. For example, BioethxChat
joined with the Death with Dignity National Center to bring forth a discussion
on ‘A Dignified Death.’ Other topics that have been covered include
‘Sexuality and Gender,’ ‘Disability Ethics: Autonomy, Rights, andDignity,’ and ‘Domestic Violence.’ The BioethxChat
website includes a full list of topics that have been covered, along with their
associated transcripts, and helpful resources.
Bioethxchat will consider
hosting a chat on any topic related to the broad field of bioethics, and supports
the submission of topic suggestions from anyone with a passion for open,
respectful dialogue. One of our most recent chats focused on ‘Professionalismand Conflicts of Interest in Healthcare,’ a topic suggested by two
of our followers, who served as guest co-hosts for the chat. Among the other
questions on our list, we discussed the connection between professionalism and
ethics, as well as the complications of financial associations between
pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers. The chat encourages references to
foundational cases, current situations in the media, as well as personal
encounters or experiences.
Social media, and Twitter
in particular, has the power to unite individuals from across the world for a
live, spirited conversation. Bioethxchat uses this medium to further its goal
of making bioethics more accessible and inclusive, recognizing that while
everyone has a perspective, not everyone is given a voice.
Let your voice be heard
and join the #bioethx community this Monday at 8:30PM EST!
Jennifer Chevinsky is a medical student at the University of
South Florida Morsani College of Medicine SELECT, a collaborative program with
the Lehigh Valley Health Network. She is
the Chair of the American Medical Association’s Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS)
Committee on Bioethics and Humanities, as well as the Chair of the American
Society for Bioethics and Humanities Student Affinity Group. She is the creator
and moderator of @BioethxChat (#Bioethx).
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