Monday, December 20, 2010

Michael Sandel lectures (on-line)

What did these lectures clarify for you in the reading on ethical theory?  What do you still have questions about?

Friday, December 17, 2010

Case 42: Health Care in Mass. (Steph)

This case is only in the 7th ed.  Steph, assuming you have the 7th ed. , would you summarize or repost the case for everyone using the 6th ed.?

Also,  remember to distinguish ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and present any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Steph's awesome questions/discussion prompts.

Case 41: "Justice, Health Care, & Poverty" (Tara)

[6th ed. = Case 46]

Tara: outline the case, distinguishing ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Tara's awesome questions/discussion prompts.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Case 11: Conflict Between Pt & His Wife (Sarah)

(6th 3d = Case 14)

Sarah: outline the case, distinguishing ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Sarah's awesome questions/discussion prompts.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Response to TED Talk about The Ghost Map (cholera)

Respond here to the TED Talk about epidemiology and The Ghost Map (about the 1854 London cholera epidemic).  View talk at:  http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_tours_the_ghost_map.html



Your “Health Care Elsewhere” country research

I'm going to ask you to do something experimental for this entry:  we'll try to use Google Docs to make a chart.  You'll get an email from me via Google Docs to complete this assignment.  Once you've completed, as a courtesey, note that you're finished here.

Case 29 “A Brain-Dead Mother Gives Birth” (Rea)

[6th ed. = Case 33]
Rea:  outline the case, distinguishing ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Rea's awesome questions/discussion prompts.

Remember, many of these issues are emotionally-charged.  Please be respectful of your classmates.

Case 25 “Anencephalic Newborns, Organ Donation, & Social Policy” (Nivia)

[6th ed. = Case 28]
Nivia: outline the case, distinguishing ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Nivia's awesome questions/discussion prompts.

Case 23 “Refusal of Life-Saving Tx by a Minor” (Barb)

[6th ed. = Case 26]

Barb: outline the case, distinguishing ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Barb's awesome questions/discussion prompts.

Frontline video on health care “Sick Around the World”

What's your general reaction to this video?  What surprised you?

Death & dying (Frontline video “Facing Death”)

Frontline Facing Death Nov 2010 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/facing-death/
Questions answer 1-2 from each section below.

Where & how
v  How do you want to die? Where do you want to die?
v  What support is necessary for someone to die at home?
v  How do most people in America die?
v  What’s the relationship of technology to issues in medical ethics?  Discuss the role of experimental treatments and the limits of technology in end-of-life care.  What is futile care?
v  How would you determine what is “appropriate care”?  Is doing nothing ever appropriate?  When? 

Experiences & Phenomenology & Existentialism
v  What experiences have you had with death?
v  What is a good death?
v  How could death transform our living?
v  Describe suffering (to you).
v  Discuss what people fear at the end of life.  Why is uncertainty so hard to bear, especially at the end of life?
v  What constitutes quality of life for you?
v  What does it mean to “dehumanize death”? What does it mean to say that “death is natural”?  How is death removed from us?
v  What should get the attention—the illness or the person.  Explain.

Hospice
v  What is hospice?
v  Is pain good?  What is the value of pain? Of pain control?
v  Hospice lets the patient be in control.  Is that different from standard medical treatment?  How?  Should it be different?

Role of Health Care Providers, Policy, Family, Law
v  What is physician-assisted suicide (PSA)? Should it be legal? Is it legal? Where? Under what conditions? What are the arguments against PSA?
v  What is the job/duty/calling of a physician? Does PSA fit in there? Other health professionals?
v  Do people have a right to die? (Remember that there is a corresponding obligation on the part of others if so).
v  Do you have an obligation to care for a family member who is dying? At what cost to yourself?
v  What impact do financial pressures have on caring for someone who can't care for himself?
v  What is the Americans with Disabilities Act? What is the Family Leave Act? How are these relevant to the debate about PSA?
v  Isn't control over the way one dies and important exercise of autonomy? What arguments are there against allowing this free exercise of autonomy?

Death & dying (from Diving Bell & the Butterfly film)

Dear Reflective, Good People,
Regarding The Diving Bell & The Butterfly, what was your reaction to the film? Answer this generally, and then comment on 1 or 2 questions below.
  • ·         Did it make you reconsider what it would be like to be very sick, incapacitated, and/or unable to communicate?
  • ·         Did it make you reconsider how you treat other people who cannot communicate clearly? (I realize that there is a difference between someone who has none or very limited cognitive abilities and one who "merely" cannot communicate)
  • ·         What else did it make you reconsider?  How you spend your time & energy?  How you treat your friends & family?
  • ·         Where you relieved or distressed (or both) when he died?
  • ·         Did the film complicate your views of autonomy and/or paternalism? Explain.
  • ·         How did the technical aspects of the film enhance or detract from the story?  (Example: camera angles & use of point of view, focus, narrative structure & time sequencing, etc.)
  • ·         What does the title mean?
  • ·         I specifically wanted you to watch the film with subtitles because I think it makes is a bit more disorienting for you, which gives you more of a sense of what Jean-Do is going through.  Do you agree?  Comment further.

Case 26 “Neonatal Care and the Problem of Uncertainty” (Lauren)

[6th ed. = Case 29]

Lauren: outline the case, distinguishing ethical from medical/social/legal/other issues, and any other information necessary to understanding the case (you might want to do a tiny bit of research if there's some particular angle that seems interesting to you).  You are also responsible for constructing relevant (thought-provoking) questions to start discussion on the case issues

Others: respond to Lauren's awesome questions/discussion prompts.  Sarah: you don't have to post again unless you want to.

Death & dying (from the readings)

Which of the euthanasia readings do you most disagree with and why?

Case 5 “Liberty and the Elderly Pt.”

Comment here on case 5.  This time, try to argue for a position you don't really believe.

Case 2 “Pt.’s Request for Possibly Useless Tx”

Comment on Case 2.  Experiment in answering by using the perspective of one of your theories.

Questions about Ethical Theory

Ethical theory is the basis for this course.  I'll lecture on it when we get to London, but it is really important for you to complete all the readings on theory.  Let's use this post for 2 purposes:
1. asking questions about the theories
2. applying the theories to Case 4.  We'll do this on a first-come, first-served basis.  Whoever goes first gets first choice on which theory to apply.  The second person gets second choice, and so on until everyone has posted a mini-analysis of Case 4 from the perspective on one of the theories.  So, if Sarah posts first, she'll get her choice of which theory to apply.  If she uses Utilitarianism, the next person won't be able to use that theory.

Case 4 “The Dentist and Pt. Autonomy”

Please comment on Case 4 here.  Start by answering the questions at the end of the case, and elaborate if you desire.