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Public Health Ethics and Ethics in Health Policy (B-KUL-E09O0A)

4 ECTSEnglish26 Second termCannot be taken as part of an examination contract
Denier Yvonne (coordinator) |  Borry Pascal |  Denier Yvonne |  Luyten Jeroen
POC Bioethics

Aims

At the end of the course the students will be acquainted with

(1)        The characteristics of public health ethics (in contrast to a clinical approach to bioethics)

(2)        Theories used in the ethical analysis of public health issues and conceptual issues in public health and health policy such as a right to healthcare, justice, solidarity, responsibility and their practical implications.

(3)        Concrete case studies in the field of public health ethics and health policy (such as neonatal screening, vaccination, rationing and priority setting, inequalities in health and benchmarks for health promotion, issues regarding cultural diversity, life style issues, prenatal diagnosis, …)

 

At the end of the course students will have increased ability in critically analyzing the scientific literature regarding case studies in the field of public health and health policy and are more inclined to develop/demonstrate a critical attitude towards concrete cases related to yhe topic of public health policy.

Previous knowledge

There is no specific preknowledge required for this course.

Is included in these courses of study

Activities

4 ects. Public Health Ethics and Ethics in Health Policy (B-KUL-E09O0a)

4 ECTSEnglishFormat: Lecture26 Second term
Borry Pascal |  Denier Yvonne |  Luyten Jeroen
POC Bioethics

Content

This course focuses on ethical issues that arise in the development of public health policy and practice. This course discusses foundational concepts at stake in public health ethics. It will thereby analyse ethical values and moral imperatives that support public health interventions, and discuss cases where public health policies come into conflict with individual autonomy, privacy and social justice. As public health is a population-oriented approach that intends to protect and promote health, public health intrinsically faces dilemmas concerning the appropriate extent of its reach and at what point public health policies and practices are infringing on personal liberties.

 

The course will address a number of current topics in public health ethics including theories of justice in health care, prevention and screening policies and practices, ethical aspects in vaccination, ethical aspects of prenatal diagnosis on the public level, inequalities in health status and benchmarks for health promotion (e.g. tobacco-use), choices and priority setting in healthcare and the inclusion of citizens in health policy development.

Course material

Published articles on Toledo

Format: more information

Students are expected to prepare all sessions, by reading the literature in advance. The college sessions will be designed in the form of interactive lectures and class discussions.

Evaluation

Evaluation: Public Health Ethics and Ethics in Health Policy (B-KUL-E29O0a)

Type : Partial or continuous assessment with (final) exam during the examination period
Description of evaluation : Written, Paper/Project
Type of questions : Open questions
Learning material : None

Explanation


The exam comprises a variety of activities.

A. An individual paper of 5 pages in which the student analyzes a case study in the field of public health ethics or health policy (/7)
B. A written examination (/13)

If the student doesn't deliver the individual paper in time, the student will not be allowed to participate in the examination.