Bioethics and Research Ethics, 4.0 credits

Entry requirements

Entry requirement for studies on third-cycle education courses

• second-cycle degree,
• 240 credits in required courses, including at least 60 second-cycle credits, or
• acquisition of equivalent knowledge in some other manne

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding -

• Describe and explain basic theories regarding ethical issues -
• Identify ethical issues within research and health care settings -
• Give an overview of relevant legislation relevant to experimental and clinical research

Competence and skills

• Identify ethical issues within research and health care settings -
• Analyse and discuss such ethical problems in both oral and written communication.

Judgement and approach

• Display an adequate attitude to problems within research ethics and ethics of health care and an understanding of different approaches in ethics

Contents

The course gives an overview of ethical issues in research and health care. Special emphasise is placed on:

• Research on human subjects
• The development of modern research ethics
• Informed consent
• Ethical issues in emerging biomedical technologies
• Conditions for authorship and scientific misconduct
• Legislation relevant for experimental and clinical research

Educational methods

The pedagogical approach applied at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences is student centered, problem based learning (PBL). The student takes responsibility for his/her own learning, and seeks and evaluates information and knowledge based on own queries and formulated problems. The role of the teacher is to guide and support the students.

Educational methods applied in this course are lectures, tutorial groups and seminars.

Examination

The examination of the course is two-folded

1. In a small group write an ethical application and develop a patient information. The work is discussed in a compulsory seminar.
2. Individually written paper about an ethical topic relevant for the course, to be discussed in a seminar also including opposition on other students paper.

Students who fail are offered one re-examination occasion in close connection to the course. After that participation in a coming course examination is offered. The re-examination should be equally comprehensive as the ordinary examination.

Change of examiner

Students who have failed the course or part of the course twice are entitled to request another examiner for the following examination occasion.

Grading

Course literature

• Beauchamp, T and Childress, J: Principle of Biomedical Ethics, 5 ed. 2001, New York: Oxford University Press

• Shamoo, A E and Resnik, D: Responsible Conduct of Research, 2009, Oxford: Oxford University Press

• Catsanos, R et al. THE ETHICS OF UTERUS TRANSPLANTATION. *Bioethics *2013; 27: 65-73

• Wilkinson, S and Williams, NJ: Should uterus transplants be publicly funded? *Journal of Medical Ethics *2016; 42: 559-565

General information

The course is planned and carried out according to what is stated in this syllabus. Course evaluation, analysis and suggestions for improvement should be fed back to the Research and PhD studies Committee (FUN) by the course coordinator.

If the course is withdrawn or is subject to major changes, examination according to this syllabus is normally offered at three occasions within/in close connection to the two following semesters.