When Medicine Meets Philosophy: A New SEC Series

Medicine and Philosophy, a new roundtable series by the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) in collaboration with Madrid’s Círculo de Bellas Artes, aims to facilitate discussions between medical, science, and humanities experts. The series, which took place in May and June, was recorded and can be viewed online at the SEC’s channel. 

1. Organizers and Topics

   The Hippocratic Chapter of the SEC, along with organizers from the Círculo de Bella Artes, decided on three healthcare topics to explore in the series. The session titles were “The Doctor-Patient Relationship in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” “Who Wants to Live Forever?”, and “Is Boredom a Medical Problem?

2. AI in Medicine: Pros and Cons

   AI’s role in medicine was the first session’s focus. Panelists discussed how AI saves time by streamlining data interpretation, allowing more time spent with patients. Ironically, the extra time results in the expectation that patient load should increase. The importance of physician input in AI advancement for medical use, as well as educating future clinicians on AI, were discussed.

3. A Long Life

   The concept of living a longer life was discussed in the second session. A balanced approach to the topic by medical professionals and philosophers created a crossover of biological facts with existential questions about the meaning of life.

4. Is Boredom Treatable?

   The last session featured panelists talking about boredom, whether it is a medical issue, and the social and medical repercussions of labeling these normal emotional life experiences as treatable conditions.

5. Were These Roundtables Successful?

   Yes. All sessions sold out and this success has prompted the organizers to brainstorm future topics for collaboration. Also, expanding this series outside of Madrid is a possibility.

Bottom line: Viewing healthcare topics through scientific and philosophical lenses can foster thought-provoking discussions, as shown by the success of the Medicine and Philosophy roundtable series. The full list of panelists can be found on the Círculo de Bellas Artes page for the roundtable series.