ETHICAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH

MEDHIST 745

Examine how ethical issues in clinical practice affect public health outcomes. Gain an understanding of the ethical frameworks and practices that are employed in medicine, in order to understand the complex interplay between public health and clinical care. Develop the ability to identify the ethically salient features of a patient case and to employ ethical analysis to generate recommendations that improve public health outcomes.

MEDHIST 559

A survey of ethical and social issues in medical ethics and history of medicine. Cooperating faculty may be drawn from philosophy, law, medical ethics, history, political science, public health, economics, education, and communication, as well as medicine and the biological sciences.

MEDHIST 742

Understand and analyze the U.S. health care system through the lens of ethical criticisms made by and on behalf of the diverse populations it serves. Gain understanding of philosophical debates over universal health insurance coverage, fair health care financing, effective cost-containment, and rationing. Hone the craft of constructing ethical arguments, and foreseeing and responding to potential objections.

MEDHIST/PHILOS 515

Focuses on ethical issues implicated in a population-level approach to disease prevention and health promotion. Explores prominent theoretical approaches to public health ethics and engages with several ethical tensions. Example issues include: the use of coercive or intrusive public health; the justification of patemalistic measures in societies; the extent to which societies should hold individuals responsible for their health conditions; the need to decide who receives life-saving treatment or vaccination; and climate changes and intergenerational justice; ethical issues in international pharmaceutical research.

MEDHIST 730

Survey in bioethics aimed at students in the health sciences. Topics to include a mix of important perennial issues and emerging problems.