Study Guide - First Exam in Ethics and Medicine

Part 1:
Choose two of the three terms listed below. Define each term chosen and explain its importance to medical ethics in a short paragraph or so. Each will be worth 25% of the total grade.

Example: Clinical Death - This is the term for the cessation of heart and lung function. It is the traditional definition of death. It is important to medical ethics because many people can be revived from this state and technology is now capable of taking over these functions for the body. So, breathing and the presence of a pulse are no longer accurate measure of whether or not a person is permanently dead. Yet, some people only accept this definition of death. Thus, for them, death may be reversible, or with the use of technology even avoidable.

The terms will be chosen from the following list:

Argument                                             Slippery slope

Prejudicial Language                             Strawperson

Begging the Question                            False Dilemma

Professionalism                         Professional Autonomy

Professional Code of Ethics                  Six Step Process of Decision-Making

Duties                                                   Rights

Positive and Negative Rights                 Motive

Intention                                               Metaethics

Normative Ethics                                  Deontological Theories

Teleological Theories                            Nonmaleficence

Beneficence                                          Patient Autonomy

Paternalism                                           Fidelity

Veracity                                               Justice

Absolute Duties                                    Prima Facie Duties

Conditional Duties                                Kant’s Categorical Imperative

Utilitarianism                                         Virtue Ethics

Relativism                                             Ethics of Care

Moral Agent                                         Ethical Distress

Ethical Dilemma                                    Locus of Authority Problem

Confidentiality                           5 Criteria Justifying a Breaching of Confidentiality

Informed Consent                                 Substituted Judgment

Best Interest                                         Expressed Interest

Decisional Capacity                              Decisional Capacity as a Continuum

Surrogate Decision Maker                    Designated Proxy

 Placebo                                               Right not to Know

Models of Patient & Health Care Professional Relationship:
• Engineering
• Contractual
• Collegial
• Priestly
• Advocacy
• Covenant

Part 2 - Essay: In this part you will be asked to read the case given and answer the question(s) at the end of the case in an essay. The case will be based on issues from the first half of the course. (50% of Exam Grade)

Instructions:
Read the following case summary. Answer the question(s) proposed at the end of the summary and support your decision(s) with good critical reasoning, which includes responding to at least one of the main arguments against your position. The grade will be based on the quality of your arguments, depth of support, and your knowledge of the issues. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO EXPLAIN AND SUPPORT YOUR STATEMENTS. (This section is worth 50% of your exam grade.)

If there is any information missing from the case study that you believe is relevant, make an assumption regarding it. State what your assumption is and indicate why this information is important.