Early Diagnosis: Handling Knowing Colloquium

On 27 November 2024 we are convening a colloquium at the University of St Andrews featuring  Dr Emily Postan (Chancellor’s Fellow in Bioethics, University of Edinburgh) and Prof. David Comerford (Economics, University of Stirling).

Key words: bioethics, medical ethics, behavioural economics, behavioural psychology, community wisdom, quality of life, right not to know, longevity.

There is a revolution in the early diagnosis of diseases and conditions that will affect the quality (not merely the quantity) of people’s life expectancy. Increasingly accurate and detailed health predictions and trajectories means people are already having to make judgements:

• What do I want to know?
• Do I even want to know that such health information might be available to me?
• Who do I want to share this information with?
• How will I handle knowing?

New, more sophisticated and accessible, knowledge will require decisions about child-bearing, relationship building, or pension provision (amongst much else) that take on additional complications. Will additional knowledge about the likelihood of longevity and eventual cause of death result in changed behaviour that undermines cvil society? People pay into a pension believing they will draw on it for a long time but, if those with limited life expectancy withdraw, the pension system collapses. How, then, is private wealth management affected? How are taxes affected when some gifts are currently free from inheritance tax if the giver lives for 7 years beyond making that gift?

This colloquium aims to facilitate dialogue between two quite different perspectives on decision-making: behavioural economics and narrative identity-making in bioethics. The goal of the colloquium is to enhance the understanding of how people make decisions as well as why they make those decisions and what decisions they deem ethically robust.

We invite contributions of short papers that will also explore the theme of decision-making in the light of early diagnosis. These may be from any discipline within, but not limited to, the medical humanities and social sciences.

We invite participation also from people in the financial sector. Their contributing to the discussions and Q&A dimensions of the colloquium will be invaluable. We’d value professionals’ insights into the saliency of the academics’ perspectives for decision-making in their worlds.

Programme

Registration, refreshments and network from 10:00. Venue at University of St Andrews to be advised.

10:30 – 12:30 keynote presentations and conversation between Dr Emily Postan and Prof. David Comerford, facilitated by Dr Morven Shearer (School of Medicine) and Dr Eric Stoddart (School of Divinity) of the University of St Andrews.

12:30 – 13:30 lunch break

13:30 – 16:00 short papers (10mins each) contributing to a round table discussion.

Submitting Short Paper Proposals

Please send an abstract of 150-200 words for a paper of not longer than 10 minutes of presentation to [email protected] by 18 October 2024. Decision on the acceptance of a proposal will be communicated by 25 October 2024.

Other registrations

Participation is welcome without the need to contribute a short paper. Please register for this free event by emailing [email protected] by 7 November 2024 with a brief note explaining your interest in the topic.

Early Diagnosis: Handling Knowing is an interdisciplinary research project, based at the University of St Andrews, involving the Schools of Medicine and Divinity and the Department of Philosophy. The project is part of the work of the Mackenzie Institute for Early Diagnosis led by Prof. Peter Donnelly, chair of public health and the institute’s director.