Duration
10h Th, 10h AUTR
Number of credits
| Bachelor in dentistry | 2 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The practice of medicine and health care raises ethical questions both at the individual level of the relationship with patients and at the collective level of the organisation of the health system. The course "Ethics and medical humanities: introduction" is a theoretical introduction to ethics as a reflective practice mobilising knowledge from the humanities and social sciences applied to the health field.
The course is given via a MOOC structured in 10 modules. Two modules are devoted to the historical sources of contemporary biomedical ethics (or bioethics) and the following ones are thematic, addressing a series of important issues for ethical reflection and the values it mobilizes today. For example, the normative nature of medical knowledge; the predictive function of certain uses of genetics and its effects on the life of the patient; the power relations between doctor and patient; the impact of the drug economy on the health system and on individual and collective health; social inequalities in health; the end of life, etc. The proposed contents are systematically based on works rooted in various human and social sciences (philosophy, sociology, history, political science, anthropology).
The modules address the following themes (the order and titles are subject to change):
- The morality of experimentation in medicine (history, issues and concepts)
- Contemporary biomedical ethics/bioethics (history and concepts)
- The historicity of diseases
- Norms and normalisation processes in health
- Ethics of genetics and diagnostic technologies
- The place of patients-users in research and in the health system
- The economics of medicines: health scandals and conflicts of interest
- Ethics at the end of life
- Ethics and public health policy
- "One health": an ecological approach to antibiotic resistance
These different contents present indispensable and complementary perspectives to answer ethical questions in practice.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The course aims to familiarise students with knowledge that is essential for engaging in ethical reflection. Ethical reflection is understood here as a practice of specific knowledge, aiming at constructing answers to specific problematic situations, where decisions have to be made. The knowledge presented in this course is not a "recipe" for practising ethics, but illustrates various ways of stepping back and broadening perspectives on issues that may arise in the field, beyond strictly biomedical knowledge and skills.
At the end of the course, students will be able to present knowledge about the themes and issues addressed in the different modules, using the humanities and social sciences terms and concepts used throughout the course.
The skills necessary for the construction of an ethical reflection will be worked on on the basis of clinical cases in the master courses.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No pre-requisites
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course content will be delivered via a MOOC (massive open online course) available on the FUN-MOOC platform: this MOOC consists of 10 modules delivered online from week to week. Each module presents a series of 3 to 5 video clips in a short format (5 to 15 minutes). The modules provide bibliographical resources to go further, and some modules benefit from the in-depth insight of an international expert.
In addition to these online video lessons, three face-to-face sessions are planned: an introductory session, a question-and-answer session halfway through the course, and a concluding session, to discuss the content with students and clarify any misunderstandings or difficulties in the subject.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Additional information:
The content of the course is disseminated via weekly online videos (MOOC), but three face-to-face sessions are planned:
- an introductory session presenting the course, its functioning, its objectives;
- a question-and-answer session halfway through the course
- a concluding session at the end of the broadcast to go back over any difficulties in understanding any of the content
Recommended or required readings
Transcripts of the capsules will be made available, as well as the bibliography.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )
Additional information:
Written examination, in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire, to test knowledge and understanding of the course.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
This academic year 2022-23, the course is exceptionally organised in the 2nd semester.
Contacts
Florence Caeymaex et Nathan Charlier (ncharlier@uliege.be)
Association of one or more MOOCs
There is no MOOC associated with this course.
Additional information:
Beta version accessible to students registered via the FUN-MOOC platform (with login and password)