Begoña Bosch: Please send an email to set up a meeting to bbosch@uic.es.
Introduction
In the event that the health authorities announce a new period of confinement due to the evolution of
the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the teaching staff will promptly communicate how this may effect
the teaching methodologies and activities as well as the assessment.
Technological advances have created new scenarios for all professionals in the health sciences and have raised great hopes of real improvements to the lives and future of mankind. However, it is also common in clinical practice, scientific research and management that problems and questions of an ethical nature arise and unambiguously demonstrate the need for a constant relationship and integration between technical and ethical issues, so that the acquisition of new knowledge is carried out in order to give maximum assistance to the most vulnerable. For full professional, technical and scientific training it is not enough to practice bioengineering correctly: there is also an ethical dimension.
The "Ethics" course aims to reflect on the value of human life, the respect it deserves and its relationship to good health. Based on the principles that should inspire Bioengineering conduct, it is necessary to know how to integrate the actions that arise in daily practice, know the individual’s rights and the main health regulations governing professional skills.
Training in "Ethics" aims to provide students in Bioengineering with knowledge and specific training that will train and help them, not only in making the best decisions in situations that are considered to be limited, but also to know how to act in various situations that arise in daily practice.
Objectives
To develop the ability to think and argue about ethical issues based on an analysis of the current situation.
To provide conceptual tools to understand the importance of acquiring the principles and fundamental virtues of the ethics of care: compassion, competence, confidence, trust.
To discover the meaning and value of the fundamental principle of the dignity of the human person, particularly in areas related to illness or other vulnerable situations, 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 learn the basics of professional health legislation.
To analyse the important implications of social and cultural diversity for understanding health.
Competences / Learning outcomes of the degree programme
CB3 - Students must have the ability to bring together and interpret significant data (normally within their area of study) and to issue judgements that include a reflection on important issues that are social, scientific or ethical in nature.
CB4 - Students can transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
CE8 - To hold a dialogue based on critical thinking on ideas connected to the main dimensions of the human being
CG10 - To know how to work in a multilingual and multidisciplinary environment.
CG4 - To resolve problems based on initiative, be good at decision-making, creativity, critical reasoning and communication, as well as the transmission of knowledge, skills and prowess in the field of Bioengineering
CT3 - To know how to communicate learning results to other people both verbally and in writing, and well as thought processes and decision-making; to participate in debates in each particular specialist areas.
CT4 - To be able to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team, whether as a member or by management tasks, with the aim of contributing to undertaking projects based on pragmatism and a feeling of responsibility, taking on commitment while bearing the resources available in mind.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Make decisions by introducing the variable of ethics at home reflection.
Express your own ideas freely without violating or offending others
Understand the role and responsibility of science and technology in today's society.
Syllabus
I. FUNDAMENTAL ETHICS
Rational Foundations of Ethics
Human consciousness
Human action
The virtues and values
Ethics of social life
II. ETHICS AND LEGISLATION
Law and rights
The moral law. Features and content
Morality-legality distinction
Human rights
Legislation of clinical practice
Legal liability
III. APPLIED ETHICS
Methodological principles of ethical decisions
Origin and development of Bioethics
Beginning of human life
Fragile life ethics
Term of human life
Research Ethics
Teaching and learning activities
Evaluation systems and criteria
Bibliography and resources
MANUALS:
POLAINO, A., Manual de Bioética General, Rialp, 2000.