Attention: You must be logged into the system to view the Preclinical Courses. Get Help Goals for First Year Medical Ethics and Professionalism
- To understand the importance of ethics and professionalism in the practice of medicine
- To understand the four principles of medical ethics
- To understand the process of analyzing an ethical case
- To know several sources of information regarding the legal regulation of medical practice
- To understand the relationship between medical ethics and medical professionalism
- To understand ethical and legal concepts relating to informed consent, surrogate decisionmaking, and advance directives
- To understand ethical and legal concepts relating to confidentiality
- To recognize the importance of the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics
Objectives: At the conclusion of the phase, students will be able to:
- Define medical ethics and professionalism
- List and describe four principles of medical ethics
- Be able to present orally a case analysis of an ethically problematic using the Mercer Ethical Case Analysis form
- Discuss the three elements essential to informed consent
- Discuss the ethical principles underlying informed consent
- Discuss the value of informed consent in relationships with patients
- Discuss exceptions to informed consent
- Discuss the concepts of advance directives, surrogate decisionmaking, living will, and power of attorney
- Distinguish statutory and case law
- Find the Official Code of Georgia pertaining to informed consent and be able to apply this to the analysis of a case of informed consent and surrogate decisionmaking
- Recognize the importance of the cases of Karen Ann Quinlan and Nancy Cruzan in the evolution of law regarding withdrawal of life supports and surrogate decisionmaking
- Analyze a case involving informed consent and surrogate decisionmaking
- Discuss the role of confidentiality in medical professionalism
- Discuss the ethical principles underlying confidentiality in medicine
- Analyze a case involving confidentiality in medicine
- Recognize the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics
- Apply the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics to the analysis of cases involving informed consent and confidentiality
Methods:
Information will be provided during two large group didactic sessions to allow for an overview of topics related to ethics. Additional resources will be provided on the MUSM Medical Ethics web site. The students along with faculty facilitators will then break into small groups for case studies and discussion of principles and practices of medical ethics and medical professionalism.
Topics to be covered include:
- General Principles of Medical Ethics
- Confidentiality, Keeping Secrets, and Duties to Report
- Informed Consent, Advance Directives and Surrogate Decision Making
- Introduction to Ethical Case Analysis
- The Oath of Geneva and challenges to Professionalism
Faculty (must login to view pictures)
- Richard L. Elliott, MD, PhD Professor and Director, Medical Ethics (Macon)
- Martin H. Greenberg, MD, Professor, Pediatrics (Savannah)
- R. Stephen Williams, MD, MHSA, Associate Professor, Pedatrics (Macon)
Schedule - please refer to Community Medicine I schedule
Your preparation
For each lesson, you will find a discussion case or two and a lesson summary. You will be expected to have read the lesson summary and case(s) before each session and to have analyzed the cases using the case analysis format.
Note: if you want to refer to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, and wish to view the current law, you can go to http://www.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/default.asp Click on OK-Close. On the next page at the top, Check the Natural Language button, uncheck Table of Contents, enter search words (e.g., Advance Directives Health Care).and click Search.
NOTE: If you have problems viewing these pdf's, please contact Michelle Bliss at bliss_m@mercer.edu.
Powerpoints
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Combined Powerpoint presentations February 14 and 16, 2011
Click Here To Download
Cases
Case 1 Informed consent and surrogate decisionmaking
Case 2 Confidentiality
Resources
Case Analysis form
Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care
O.C.G.A. Advance Directives
Blotner v Doreika Georgia does not recognize the common law doctrine of informed consent, and that the “Georgia informed consent statute does not impose a general requirement of disclosure upon physicians; rather, it requires physicians to disclose only those factors listed in OCGA § 31-9-6.1 (a).
O.C.G.A. Consent for Surgical or Medical Treatment
American College of Physicians Charter on Professionalism
Attendance Policy
You must attend one group session (typically, this will be at your assigned group time, but exceptions may be necessary and should be requested ahead of time).
Evaluation
At the end of the module, you will take a written exam worth 10 -15 points. A “satisfactory” grade for the module requires a 65% correct score. (See also “Attendance Policy” above.). The examination will cover material from the Powerpoint presentations as well as background material from the web site given for cases one and two. Know landmark cases!
Remediation will be available for students who contact a member of the Medical Ethics Program faculty within one week of the return of final grades. Remediation consists of achieving a 65% correct score on a retest covering material similar to the original test.
