Social and Ethical Issues in Medicine
Total Contact Hours:
32 hours
Course Director:
Ashley Fernandes, M.D., Assistant Professor of Community Health
Mary T. White, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Community Health
Course Description:
This course examines the social,
ethical, and legal issues that accompany physicians' interactions with patients
and contribute to their effectiveness as healers and professionals. The social factors include
characteristics the physician brings to the relationship from his or her own
personal and educational background, as well as characteristics patients bring
to the encounter. Various ethical
issues are explored, including bedside dilemmas, conflicts experienced by
medical students, contextual questions pertaining to public and international
health, and the structure and financing of health care delivery systems. Relevant legislation and case law is
presented corresponding to particular issues.
The topics chosen are intended to
address current trends in health care, which include an increasingly diverse
patient population, changing professional expectations of physicians, and new
legal and financial constraints of which physicians must be aware. The
objectives of the course are for the student to: 1) develop sensitivity to
social, ethnic, and cultural factors as they pertain to patient care; 2)
heighten awareness of the ethical dimensions and sources of ambiguity implicit
in all levels of medical practice; and 3) appreciate the complex and varied
ethical standards and expectations in medical practice and the uncertainties
that accompany these standards.
K=Knowledge and Lifelong Learning
C=Interpersonal and Communication P=Professionalism, Advocacy, and Personal Growth |
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By the conclusion of this course, the student will
demonstrate:
K1The ability to recognize and articulate common
ethical conflicts that arise for medical students and in patient care, health
policy, and public and international health
K2 Familiarity and competence with different ethical
approaches to conflicts, and use them appropriately to defend specific
decisions, verbally and in writing
K3 The ability to assess the health care needs of
specific populations in the Dayton area, and to access the resources available
to meet those needs
C1 Knowledge of the elements of informed consent,
giving bad news, and competency determination. Students will also be able to identify exceptions to the
requirement of informed consent and confidentiality.
C2The ability to articulate social and ethical issues
effectively in writing, in the form of personal reflective essays and case
analyses C3 The ability to effectively employ information
provided in course readings in small group discussions, to question their own
or others' assumptions clearly and tactfully, and to verbally defend particular
ethical positions P1 The ability to identify the elements of
professionalism, including the purposes of codes of ethics, self-regulation,
and personal accountability
P2 The ability to describe and critique their own
professional development and to recognize when expectations of professionalism
in themselves and others are met and unmet
Learning Activities:
Presentations, panel discussions, small group (5 students/faculty member) seminars; assessment: essays, small group participation.
Syllabi
Assessment:
MCQ quizzes, essay examinations. |
