Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Bioethics
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Dra Begoña Bosch: bbosch@uic.es
Dr Ignacio Macpherson: imacpherson@uic.es
Dr Mauricio Pacheco: mpacheco@uic.es
Dr Ignasi Belda: ibeldar@uic.es
Introduction
Technological advances have created new scenarios for all professionals in health sciences and have raised great hopes of making concrete improvements to human lives and the future of mankind. However, in both clinical practice and scientific research and management, problems and questions of an ethical nature frequently arise. Such questions clearly show the need for a constant and integrated relationship between technical and ethical matters, to ensure new knowledge is acquired in a manner that ensures the best for people who are in vulnerable situations. To offer a full professional, technical and scientific education, is not enough only to teach Biomedical Science, and an ethical dimension must be included.
The Bioethics course aims to reflect on the value of human life, the respect it deserves and its relationship to good health. It is based on principles that should inspire good conduct in Biomedical Science, in order to integrate the actions that arise in daily practice, while providing the necessary awareness of human rights and the main health regulations governing the profession.
Training in Bioethics aims to provide students in Biomedical Science with knowledge and specific training that will educate and guide them, not only to make the best decisions in situations that are considered limited, but also to know how to act in numerous situations that arise in daily practice.
Pre-course requirements
Students are recommended to have passed Anthropology.
Objectives
- To develop the ability to think about and discuss ethical issues based on an analysis of the present situation.
- To provide the conceptual tools so students understand the importance of acquiring the principles and fundamental values of ethics in personal and professional care.
- To demonstrate the meaning and value of the fundamental principle of human dignity, particularly in areas related to illness or other vulnerable situations, while taking into consideration both the physical and mental limitations of the person.
- To demonstrate the importance of interpersonal communication in the context of the therapeutic relationship.
- To explain the basics of professional health legislation.
- To analyse and discuss the important implications of social and cultural diversity in understanding health.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB3: Students have the ability to collect and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study) to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.
- CB4: Students can transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to a specialized and non-specialized audience.
- CG4: Solve problems with initiative, decision making, creativity, critical and communication reasoning, and the transmission of knowledge, abilities and skills in the field of Bioengineering.
- CG10: Know how to work in a multilingual and multidisciplinary environment.
- CT3: Know how to communicate orally and in writing with other people about the results of learning, of the elaboration of thought and of decision making; participate in debates on topics of their own specialty.
- CT4: Being able to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team, either as a member or performing management tasks, in order to contribute to developing projects with pragmatism and a sense of responsibility, assuming commitments taking into account the available resources
- CE8: Dialogue in a critical spirit about ideas related to the human being and its main dimensions.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- To make decisions by introducing ethics as a variable for reflection.
- To have the ability to express ideas freely without violating or offending others.
- To understand the role and responsibility of science and technology in today's society.
Syllabus
1. ETHICS FUNDAMENTALS
- Rational foundations of ethics
- Human consciousness
- Human action
- Virtues and values
- The ethics of social life
2. ETHICS AND LEGISLATION
- Law and rights
- Moral law
- The distinction between morality and legality
- Human rights
- Legislation of clinical practice
- Protection of personal data and confidentiality
- Conflicts of interest
3. APPLIED ETHICS
- Methodological principles of ethical decisions
- History of Bioethics
- Research Ethics: preclinical and clinical
- The beginning of human life
- Fragile life ethics
- Term of human life
- Research Ethics
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course is usually taught through theoretical sessions (lectures) and practical sessions, both offered in person. The content of the lectures will consist of the main topics and concepts in the units detailed in the course syllabus. Practical classes will be based mainly on carrying out group work and a practical assignment, in which current cases will be analysed and debated in order to illustrate and deepen the concepts explained earlier.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The pass mark for the Bioethics course is 5. The overall mark is obtained through the weighted average of four activities:
a) Continuous assessment (10%): resolving cases covered in the masterclasses (in person).
b) Practical work (20%): written and oral (in person).
c) Mid-term exam (30%): written (in person).
d) Final exam (40%): written (in person).
*The minimum grade on the mid-term and final exam to pass the course must be higher than 4.5.
Important considerations:
- Plagiarism, copying or any other actions that may be considered cheating during coursework will result in being marked 0. Similar actions during the exams will result in failing the course.
- During retake exams, the maximum grade students will be able to obtain is “Excellent” (honours will not be possible).
- Changes to the calendar, exam dates or evaluation system will not be admitted.
- Exchange students (Erasmus and others) or students doing retakes will be subject to the same conditions as the rest of students.
Bibliography and resources
MANUALS:
- POLAINO, A., Manual de Bioética General, Rialp, 2000.
- CICCONE, L.; Bioética. Historia. Principios. Cuestiones. Palabra, Madrid, 2005.
- SGRECCIA, E., Manual de Bioética I: Fundamentos y Bioética Biomédica, BAC, 2010.
BOOKS:
- ABEL, F., Bioética: orígenes, presente y futuro, Madrid, Institut Borja de Bioética, Fundación Mapfre medicina, reimp., 2001.
- BEAUCHAMPS, T.L., CHILDRESS, F. J., Principios de Bioética Biomédica, Barcelona, Mason 4ª ed., 2000.
- BLAZQUEZ, N., Bioética: La nueva ciencia de la vida. Madrid, BAC, 2000.
- PASTOR L.M., FERRER, M., La bioética en el milenio biotecnológico, Murcia,Sociedad Murciana de Bioética,2001.
- POISSON, J.F. Bioética ¿El hombre contra el hombre?, Rialp, Madrid, 2009.
INTERNET:
- - Bioethicsline www.bioethics.Georgetown.edu/bioline.htm
- - Euroethics www.gwdg.de/-uelsner/entrez/.fcgi
- - Asociación Médica Mundial www.wma.net
- - Canadian Bioethics Society: www.bioethics.ca/english
- - Asociación Europea de Centros de Bioética Médica: www.kuleuven.ac.be/cbmer/eacmeherstel.htm
- - European Bioethical Research: www.bioethics.org.uk
- - Asociación Española de Bioética y Bioética médica: www.aebioetica.org
- - Bioética y Derecho. Universidad de Barcelona: www.Ub.es/fildt/bioetica.htm
- - Centro de Documentación de Bioética del departamento de Humanidades Biomédicas: www.unav.es/cdb
- -Observatorio de Bioética de Valencia: www.observatoriobioetica.com
Evaluation period
- E1 21/01/2021 A08 16:00h