THE RESULTS OF STUDY

SUBJECT CARD
SUBJECT
BIOETHICS
LEVEL OF STUDIES II0,
ECTS POINTS 3
YEAR 1St, SEMESTER Spring
term
TYPE OF SUBJECT
OBLIGATORY
FACULTY
PHYSIOTHERAPY
TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS, WEEKS
45 hours, including:
15 h of lecture (2 hours x 7 week + 1 hour
x 1 week), 30 h of classes (2 h x 15 weeks)
TEACHING METHODS
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
LECTURE,
CLASS POLISH
DISCUSSION,
ORAL (English for ERASMUS Students – classes
PRESENTATION, GROUP only)
WORK, CASE ANALYSIS,
TEXT ANALYSIS
THE RESULTS OF STUDY
At the end of the course, students will:
- know the history, nature, and methods of bioethics;
- know basic bioethical issues and problems;
- know and understand basic concepts, values and principles of bioethics (clinical and research ethics);
- be able to identify ethical issues arising in the context of healthcare and biomedical research, in particular in
physiotherapy;
- be able to analyze and summarize arguments for and against a particular ethical conclusion;
- be able to form and defend a well-supported position on bioethical issues;
- be able to prepare documentation for the Senate Research Ethics Committee of the Academy of Physical
Education in Warsaw to obtain permission for conducting research involving human subjects;
- understand the significance of ethical reflection for healthcare practice, research and policymaking;
- recognize the need of ethical education and public discussion on bioethical issues.
SYLLABUS CONTENT
Lectures:
1. Professional ethics and bioethics (professional ethics – nature, functions, source of norms, critique; nature of
bioethics; principles of medical ethics and bioethics).
2. Ethics in physiotherapy (moral duties of physiotherapists; rights of persons with disabilities; patients’ rights;
axiology of the draft law on other healthcare professions; codes of ethics in physiotherapy).
3-4. Reproductive ethics (moral status of human embryo and fetus; discussion over criteria or humanhood and
personhood; abortion debate; women’s rights versus fetal rights; ethical problems of assisted reproduction; ART
and goals of medicine).
5. Ethics of genetics (ethics and gene therapy; human cloning debate; ethical aspects of genetic counseling and
prenatal diagnosis; shadow of eugenics, ethical justification of genetic control)
6. Ethics at the end of life (attitudes towards death; experience of dying; hospice movement; palliative care; rights
of a dying patient; ethics of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide).
7. Ethics of human research (ethical principles of conducting biomedical research on human subjects; protection of
human subjects).
Classes:
Module 1: Introduction to bioethics and clinical ethics
1. The birth of bioethics.
2. Fundamental values and principles of bioethics. Conflict of values or principles.
3. Dignity and autonomy of patients in physiotherapy. Ethical dilemmas in physiotherapy.
4. Truth-telling and other ethical aspects of communication with patients.
Module 2: Ethics at the beginning and end of life
5. Abortion – ethical, social and legal aspects.
6. Ethics of assisted reproductive technologies.
7. Decisions at the end of life.
8. Definition of death & Transplantation ethics.
Module 3: Elements of research ethics
9. Research involving human subjects.
10. Good research practice.
Module 4: Selected bioethical topics
11-15. Students may choose 5 topics from among topics listed below or make their own topic suggestions:
(A) Ethics and psychiatry. (B) Ethics and HIV/AIDS. (C) Ethics of prenatal diagnosis. (D) Ethics of human
cloning. (E) Family, reproduction and homosexuality. (F) Ethical problems in neonatology. (G) Ethics of
suffering. (H) Research on animals. (I) Ethics of doping in sport. (J) Justice in biomedicine.
METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
1. Lecture: Written exam.
2. Classes: The final grade is based on:
(1) Participation (attendance and active participation in class discussions drawing upon readings and personal
experiences, demonstrating student’s familiarity with bioethical topics, terminology, discussed precepts,
principles and cases) – 60%.
(2) Oral presentation of a selected bioethical topic, based on the required and optional readings – 40%.
BASIC AND SUPPLEMENTARY LITERATURE
Basic literature (in alphabetical order):
1. Beauchamp T., Childress J., Zasady etyki medycznej, KsiąŜka i Wiedza, Warszawa 1996.
2. Gilon R., Etyka lekarska, problemy filozoficzne, WL PZWL, Warszawa 1997.
3. Szawarski Z., Mądrość i sztuka leczenia, Wyd. Słowo/obraz terytoria, Gdańsk 2005.
4. Szewczyk K., Bioetyka (t.1) Medycyna na granicach Ŝycia; (t.2). Pacjent w systemie opieki zdrowotnej
Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2009.
5. Singer P. (red.) Przewodnik po etyce, KsiąŜka i Wiedza, Warszawa 1993.
6. Kwartalnik „Postępy Rehabilitacji” 2000 zeszyt 4.
Supplementary literature:
1. Barański J., Waszyński E., Steciwki A. (red.), Komunikowanie się lekarza z pacjentem, Wydawnictwo Astrum,
Wrocław 2000.
2. Hartman J., Bioetyka dla lekarzy, Oficyna a Wolters Kluwer Business, Warszawa 2009.
3. Łuków P., Granice zgody: autonomia zasad i dobro pacjenta, Scholar, Warszawa 2005.
4. Mepham B., Bioetyka. Wprowadzenie dla studentów nauk biologicznych, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN,
Warszawa 2008.
5. Nowacka A., Etyka a transplantacje, PWN Warszawa 2003.
6. Nussbaum M., Sunstein C. (red.), Czy powstanie klon człowieka? Fakty i fantazje, Diogenes, Warszawa 2000.
7. Przyłuska-Fiszer A., Etyczne aspekty sporu o przerywanie ciąŜy, Wydawnictwo AWF, Warszawa 1997.
8. Singer P., Wells D., Dzieci z probówki. Etyka i praktyka sztucznej prokreacji, Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa
1988.
9. Singer P., Etyka praktyczna, KsiąŜka i Wiedza, Warszawa 2003.