Biomedical Ethics

Biomedical Ethics is a brief philosophical introduction to the most important ethical questions and arguments in six areas of biomedicine: the patient-doctor relationship; medical research on humans; reproductive rights and technologies; genetics; medical decisions at the end of life; and the allocation of scarce medical resources. Topics cover both perennial ethical issues in medicine, such as doctors' duties to patients, and recent and emerging ethical issues in scientific innovation, such as gene therapy and cloning Ideal for courses in contemporary moral problems, introduction to ethics, and introduction to bioethics Contents: Chapter1: History and Theories Introduction The Need for Theories Consequentialism and Deontology Virtue Ethics and Feminist Ethics Communitarianism and Liberalism The Rejection of Theories: Casuistry and Cultural Relativism Conclusion Further Reading Chapter 2: The Patient-Doctor Relationship Introduction Informed Consent Therapeutic Privilege Confidentiality Cross-Cultural Relations What Sort of Doctors Do We Need? Conclusion Chapter 3: Medical Research on Humans Introduction Design of Clinical Trials Equipoise, Randomisation, and Placebos Problems with Consent Vulnerable Populations Protections and Justice Conclusion Further Reading Chapter 4: Reproductive Rights and Technologies Introduction Abortion The Moral Status of Embryos Surrogate Pregnancy Sex Cloning Conclusion Further Reading Chapter 5: Genetics Introduction Genetic Testing and Screening Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PIGD) Gene Therapy Genetic Enhancement Eugenics Conclusion Further Reading Chapter 6: Medical Decisions at the End of Life Introduction Defining Death Withholding and Withdrawing Treatment Double Effect Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Futility Conclusion Further Reading Chapter 7: Allocating Scarce Medical Resources Introduction Setting Priorities QALYs Age-Based Rationing Organ Transplantation Two-Tiered Health Care Conclusion Further Reading