POPLHLTH 204 : Health Care Ethics
Medical and Health Sciences
2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course will introduce and explicate a broad range of the most challenging and important ethical issues in health care. This course provides a foundation in the content and methods of ethics as well as an introduction to specific ethical debates relating to the provision of health care. We explore a range of real cases and apply ethical theory to current debates in health. There are five thematic sections: Introduction to ethics; Research ethics; Distributive justice in health; Population health ethics, and Clinical ethics.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Recognise the key themes that characterise discussions of the ethical issues across a wide range of health care issues, (Capability 1.2, 2.1 and 5.2)
- Discuss a broad range of ethical issues that arise in the domain of health care, including issues relating to the structure of healthcare systems; the philosophy of healthcare allocation and issues pertaining to public health and issues in clinical and treatment contexts; (Capability 2.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Apply ethical theory to decision-making, policy development and legislation relating to health and health care, (Capability 3.2, 5.2 and 6.2)
- Critically reflect upon and defend one's own ethical commitments. (Capability 2.3, 5.3 and 6.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Case reflection | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Close reading of a scholarly paper | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Essay | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| Case reflection | ||||||||||
| Close reading of a scholarly paper | ||||||||||
| Essay | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials and lectures to enable you to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events such as group discussions or tutorials. Live discussions are regular features of on-campus lectures and tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in the course website located in the University’s learning platform CANVAS which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Students from 2020 focused feedback on the online experience in Semester one. They expressed appreciation of the mix of recorded lectures and live sessions, but indicated that in general it was difficult to remain motivated in a fully online learning environment. If we return to online learning in 2021 I will structure live sessions to complement recorded lectures more purposefully, and make use of breakout rooms to set exercises in our shared time together. I will look for ways to check in with students regularly. Students really appreciated our personable approach on this course, and we will continue to value our relationships with students and do our best to support your learning and have fun together as well as working through some challenging questions.
Other Information
This course is held at The University of Auckland Grafton Campus. Lectures are at 10 am on Mondays and Wednesdays. Tutorials are on Mondays at 11 am, or Wednesdays at 11am or 12 noon
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.