All publications

Reports

01. Social Perceptions of Biotechnology

This document is the product of a collaborative project between the Biotechnology Reference Centre of Catalonia and the Foundation. It publishes the results of research carried out by four experts from both institutions; Dr. Josep Egozcue, Dr. Carlos Romeo Casabona, Dr. Josep Casacuberta and Dr. Enric Melé. It consists of five sections: Introduction to biotechnology and legislative policies, Analysis of the current situation,  Analysis of the causes of this social perception, Possible consequences that could result and Proposed actions.

02. An ethical framework for cooperation between companies and research centers

The Víctor Grífols Foundation and the Center for Genomic Regulation are both conscious that cooperation between businesses and research centers is a priority, especially in the field of biotechnological and biomedical research. Both institutions wish to contribute to the debate arised when there is the possibility of collaboration between businesses and research centers. The aim of the document is to open avenues in order to provide better exchange of information, innovation and technology between research centers and businesses.

03. Therapeutic Cloning: ethical, legal and scientific perspectives

Authors: Gemma Marfany, Josep Egozcue and Victoria Camps. This document aims to assist in disseminating information about the current state of stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. Its objective is to help form public opinion and improve the quality of debate, in the belief that information is essential if we are to advance our understanding and arrive at rational opinions.

04. Las prestaciones privadas en las organizaciones sanitarias públicas (Private services in public health organizations)

Authors: Victòria Camps, López i Casasnovas i Àngel Puyol. The objective of this document was to analyze and evaluate an emerging reality in our country: private services in public health organizations taking into consideration the economic, ethical and political dimensions which impact a health system which must harmonize equity and sustainability.

05. Ethics and Synthetic Biology: Four Streams, Three Reports

The Foundation has edited a new report which covers the contents of the presentation delivered by Dr. Thomas Murray at the fifth Josep Egozcue Lectures. Thomas Murray, president emeritus of The Hastings Center of New York, begins the report with a definition of synthetic biology and the current main trends, and continues by exploring the challenges and risks involved in its development. Reports from the EU, Spain and Portugal relating to this discipline are also analyzed. To conclude, the report offers a reflection on the main concerns surrounding the progress of synthetic biology.

06. La interacció públic-privat en sanitat (Public–private interaction in health care)

We find ourselves in a situation where the need to rationalize health resources and increase the efficiency of the system has reopened a vigorous debate about the interaction between the public and private spheres. The articles contained in this publication are designed to offer a starting point to address the regeneration of the public health system, based on a recognition of the complexity of the current situation.


Bilingual edition (Spanish/Catalan)

Monographs

01. Freedom and Health

Freedom and health are two of the most important values of our time. While individual freedom is the basic right of everyone, health is one of the basic goods of the welfare state. Working from different perspectives, the authors of this monograph analyze the relationship between these two values. Hugo Tristram Engelhardt considers it from a philosophical perspective, Stefano Rodotà from a legal perspective, and Marcelo Palacios from the perspective of health.

02. Ethical and scientific standards in research

Monograph that addresses the subject of both ethical and scientific standards applied to research. It includes the lectures entitled "Ethical and scientific norms in clinical trials for medicines" and "The ethics of research in developing countries" given by two well-known professors in the field, Professor Silvio Garattini, Director of the "Mario Negri" Institute of Pharmacological Research of Italy, and Professor Solomon R. Benatar, Director of the University of Cape Town Bioethics Center of South Africa. Both lectures are accompanied by the views of various specialists in this subject.

03. The Pharmaceutical industry and medical progress

This article deals with the ethical conflicts that are generated by the very concept of "medical progress" and also addresses the different interests of the pharmaceutical industry. It combines the lecture "The influence of medical progress and of the pharmaceutical industry on our health" presented by the Director of the Healthcare Research Fund, Dr. Fernando García Alonso and the speech delivered by the Managing Director of S.A.L.V.A.T laboratories, Mr. Javier Peris "The pharmaceutical industry and medical progress". These two points of view opened a debate between a group of pharmacologists, doctors, philosophers and journalists, whose contributions are also included in this publication.

04. Predictive medicine and discrimination

This publication considers the medical and legal views on predictive medicine offered by two experts, Doctor Xavier Estivill, Head of the Centre for Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Cancer Research Institute of l'Hospitalet, Barcelona, with his speech, "Towards a predictive medicine?" and Doctor Mirentxu Corcoy, Professor of Penal Law at the Public University of Navarra with her speech, "Predictive medicine and discrimination." These two views are complemented with a discussion by an interdisciplinary group of specialists coordinated by Doctor Josep Egozcue, Vice President of the Foundation.

05. Practical problems of informed consent

This monograph contains contributions from Pablo Simón, doctor in Medicine from the Complutense University of Madrid, and Carlos Romeo, Professor of Criminal Law at the Deusto University. It offers an ethical and medical perspective, doing a balance of this issue, just in the tenth anniversary of judicial history of informed consent in our country. The publication also discusses practical cases and inputs from other professionals.

06. The Ethics of medical communication

The sixth monograph published by the Foundation is dedicated to debating the field of scientific and medical communication from two points of view: that of the the doctor, represented by Dr. Miquel Vilardell, Head of the Internal Medicine Service of the Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona and that of the journalist, represented by Dr. Gemma Revuelta, Subdirector of the Scientific Communication Observatory of the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Scientific journalist and trustee of the Foundation, Vladimir de Semir provides the introduction to this journal and presents the various contributions from the interdisciplinary group of specialists invited to share their views.

07. The management of medical errors

The Foundation's seventh publication summarizes the ethical conflicts caused by managing medical errors. This analysis is presented by Jaume Aubia, Vice President of the Col·legi de Metges of Barcelona in his talk entitled "Medical errors: protection systems and their paradoxes". This compliments the legal opinion offered by Doctor Ricardo de Lorenzo, President of the Spanish Health Law Association. Both viewpoints are supported by the contributions of a range of specialists in this subject.  

08. The rational use of medicines: ethical aspects

The growing number and rising costs of new medications on the market combined with an aging population which consumes increasing amounts of health resources compels society to reflect on the best way to distribute these limited resources, while taking into consideration medical, economic, legislative and ethical concerns. This monograph, edited in collaboration with Ediciones Doyma, has a multi-disciplinary dimension, as experts from different fields offer diverse approaches in dealing with this issue giving the reader a range of standpoints from which to make an informed opinion.

09. Ethics and sedation at the close of life

Sedation is something which requires both respect for the autonomy and dignity of the patient and also the best care on the part of the health professionals who look after for patients nearing death.

The objective of this monograph is to publish the debate between palliative care professionals, oncologists, internists, surgeons, health administrators, journalists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, lawyers and bio-ethicists on advancing knowledge and good praxis in sedation to facilitate the work of clinicians.  

10. Corresponsabilidad empresarial en el desarrollo sostenible (Corporate responsibility in sustainable development)

The need for sustainable development is widely recognized by society, many governments, local administrations, social agencies and by a large part of the business sector. It is well known that the current economic growth cannot be sustained in perpetuity. Society must ensure that growth can be maintained for future generations without being limited by the current way of doing things.

A cultural change is necessary so that the citizenry assumes responsibility and actively participates in this new "way of life". Many different parties would be implicated in such a change: the business sector, government, NGO's, business schools and universities, unions and the press. This essay takes all these points of view into consideration. The monograph includes all of these points of view, in addition to which it contains an appendix of case studies 

11. Los fines de la medicina (The Goals of Medicine)

A group of researchers from the Hastings Center wrote an essay which has been translated by the Victor Grifols i Lucas Foundation into Spanish and Catalan. This document attempts to demystify medicine so that putting it to use can truly mean progress for all of humanity. The goals of medicine at the end of the twentieth century should go beyond curing the ill and lengthening life.

The Grifols Foundation has translated this document to highlight the values which the contents transmit and which articulate the objectives of the Foundation's activities. The translation of this document is intended to spread these values to those who work in the health sciences.   

12. The management of nursing care

According to the ethics of caring there is an ethical dimension which is intrinsic to any care act, and this enriches the discourse of health ethics and helps us to view it from the perspective of the health service user, patient or family receiving care. The way in which nurses care proposes a concept of what has to be done and how it has to be implemented, and becomes particularly important if we genuinely want to focus our care model on the patient or service user. In the organization of a health service, we must consider the basic principles of professional care as a minimum standard which has the same importance as the basic principles of treating illnesses.  

13. Health information and the active participation of users

The aim of the study was to find out to what extent the information that patients and their relatives or friends receive, relating to the particular pathology they are suffering from, or the chances they have to play an active role in the taking of necessary decisions involved in the treatment of their disease, are satisfactory or not. The process undertaken in the interview stages and in the conclusions deduced were presented by the authors to a group of experts who amply debated. 

14. Addressing the problem of patient competency

Much progress remains to be made about patient competency in decision-making, and this issue requires new skills and techniques. How should we respond to a patient's refusal to undergo surgery? How do we distinguish between normal and incompetent decisions? This monograph explores these and other questions regarding the competency and autonomy of the patient.

English version only available in pdf format

home_agenda

home_training

home_publications

home_grants_and_awards