PHL 344 Ethical Issues in Health Care

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PHL 344Ethical Issues in Health Care

• Fall 2000
• Section 4
• Howard Brody

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Course Objectives

• Learn the types of questions considered to be
  important and prevalent ethical issues in health
  care in the U.S. today.

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Course Objectives

• When presented with a paper or article presenting
  a stand and making an argument on an ethical
  issue
• Be able to explain exactly what position the
  author is taking and why.
• Be able to explain whether or not you agree with
  the position taken and why.

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Course Objectives

• For each of the questions surveyed in the course
• Be able to give common arguments for and against
  the most common ethical positions.
• Be able to state your own position on that
  question.
• Be able to defend your preferred position against
  reasonable criticisms from others who do not
  share it.

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Course Objectives

• Gain experience in discussing ethical issues in
  health care with others with diverse perspectives
  and backgrounds.

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Course Objectives

• Learn how to discuss disagreements without
  indicating disrespect for other people.
• Learn how to learn from people who disagree with
  you about ethical issues.
• Learn how discussing disagreements can sharpen
  your appreciation and understanding of your own
  ethical stance.

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Course Objectives

• Learn how to explore ethical disagreements to see
  whether common ground lurks under apparently
  irreconcilable conflicts of value.
• Become familiar with the most commonly used
  ethical theories and approaches for understanding
  the nature of ethical questions and improving
  ethical reasoning.

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Course Objectives

• Understand how ethical questions surface at
  various levels ranging from interpersonal
  relationships to broad questions of public
  policy.
• Distinguish ethical aspects of the formulation of
  health policy from the economic and political
  aspects.

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General Question for the Course

• What might it mean to demonstrate respect for
  persons in any or all aspects of health care?

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Respect for Persons

• Golden Rule-- treat others as you would wish to
  be treated
• Religious concepts equality as divine creation
• Autonomy each deserves respect as potential
  chooser of own destiny

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Respect for Persons

• The Patient as Person (Ramsey, 1970)
• The gall bladder in 619
• The doctor will see you now, George
• Feminism and the problem of the benevolent
  oppressor oppression invisible to those in power
• Standpoint ethics

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Respect for Persons

• Respect for persons in ethical dialogue
• Can I respect someone whose ideas I disagree
  with? (Whose ideas I find evil?)
• Can I form a compromise position on an ethical
  question without compromising my integrity?
  (Self-respect)

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Respect for Persons

• Religious differences
• Cultural differences
• Mere tolerance
• Learning from other cultures and belief systems

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Respect for Persons

• Philosophical questions underlying health care
  ethical issues
• What is a person?
• Problematic cases
• Death, brain criteria
• Persistent vegetative state
• Fetus

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Respect for Persons

• Ethical guide to policy
• Respect for persons as individuals
• Respect for persons as members of community
• How compares to economics and politics