Clinical Ethics 3800-BE-EKL-OG

The goal of the class is to acquaint students with the main theoretical positions and research methods of clinical ethics. The topics discussed during classes are intended as a background for the discussions of the problems, which will be discussed more specifically during other classes which belong to Bioethics. The material presented comprises the central ethical problems discussed in the contemporary medical ethical literature. The material will be presented starting with more general to the more specific.
Topics: The main characteristics and subject matter of clinical ethics. The concepts of health and disease. The right to health and the right to healthcare. Models of clinical ethical deliberation. The 4 principles approach. Models of patient-doctor relationship. Medical professionalism. Medical paternalism. Patient rights – the ethical foundations and legal aspects: patient autonomy, patient decisional competency; informed consent (models, validity conditions, and significance); provision of information to patients and the ethical dimension of patient-medical professional communication; truthfulness in medicine; medical confidentiality. Problems characteristic to selected areas of medical practice: neonatology, reproductive medicine, transplant medicine, intensive care, geriatrics, palliative care, and nursing. Models of clinical support in clinical settings. The origins and nature of ethics consultation. The status and core competencies of clinical ethicists and hospital clinical consultation committees. The challenges of the establishment and evaluation of clinical consultation systems.