BIO 250 - Biomedical Ethics

1. Apply bioethical and philosophical principles to contemporary moral problems in science, medicine, health care, public health, and environmental research.
2. Analyze ethical dilemmas, processes of human decision-making, and positions using critical and dialectical thinking.
3. Examine bioethical issues in light of human assumptions and biases that influence decision-making.
4. Evaluate bioethical issues in relation to gender and racial inequality and cultural perspectives on biomedical ethics.
5. Evaluate ethical responsibilities to society at the local, national, and global levels.

1. Describe foundational philosophical positions and assumptions in ethics.
2. Identify core biomedical ethical principles for evaluating bioethical dilemmas.
3. Distinguish the foundational values in health care decisions, recognizing differences between personal beliefs and professional standards.
4. Apply critical reasoning to the construction of well-supported arguments that address both supporting and opposing perspectives.
5. Exhibit intercultural humility when navigating ethical dilemmas.
6. Examine ethical responsibilities at local, national, and global levels with respect to policy, practice, and outcomes.
7. Discuss legal, social, and ethical issues in human genetics and epigenetics.
8. Discuss the potential and ethical implications of human genetic engineering.
9. Examine the 20th-century eugenics movement and its implications for the 21st century.
10. Examine health care institutions, structures, and resource allocation locally, nationally, and globally.
11. Consider the criteria for personhood and its influence on biomedical decisions.
12. Discuss cultural, ethical, and legal perspectives on death and their impact on end-of-life decisions.
13. Discuss the pros and cons of topics such as death and dying, euthanasia, personhood, abortion, reproduction, genetic counseling and screening, artificial intelligence, environmental research, international and cross-cultural perspectives, health and human rights, and the translation of bioethical dilemmas into public policy.

1. Fundamental Principles of Biomedical Ethics
   1. Core ethical principles
      1. Autonomy
      2. Non-maleficence
      3. Beneficence
      4. Justice
      5. Informed consent
      6. Confidentiality
      7. Truth-telling
   2. Inductive and deductive reasoning and logical fallacies
   3. Virtue ethics
   4. Cultural competence and structural determinants in biomedical ethics
      1. Influence of bias on ethical perspectives
      2. Racial inequality
      3. Power, economics, and social structures in local and global communities
      4. Local and global ethical responsibility
2. Legal, Social, and Ethical Issues in Human Genetics
   1. The Human Genome Project
   2. Genetic technologies
   3. Genetic information and confidentiality
   4. Eugenics and reproductive decision-making
3. Allocation of Medical Resources
   1. Justice and equity in allocation
      1. Social factors
      2. Geographic access
      3. Demographic considerations
      4. Triage and crisis standards
4. Medical Decision-Making
   1. Ethical challenges in decision-making
      1. Consent
      2. Confidentiality
      3. Paternalism
      4. Disagreements
      5. Surrogate decisions
   2. Role of the health care provider in shared decision-making and patient advocacy
5. The Beginning of Life
   1. Ethical debates on personhood, reproduction, and early life 
   2. Role of the provider in reproductive counseling and care
6. The End of Life and Defining Death
   1. Ethical debates on death, dying, and organ donation
   2. Provider responsibilities in end-of-life care, palliative support, and communication
7. Scientific, Biomedical, and Environmental Research
   1. Ethics of research and innovation
   2. Conflicts of interest and publication ethics
   3. Dual-use research and bioterrorism concerns
   4. Bioethics of the environment and environmental justice
   5. One Health perspective and interconnection of human, animal, and ecosystem health
   6. Ethical use of animals in research
   7. Provider role in clinical research and professional ethics
8. Future Challenges in Biomedical Ethics
   1. Data, technology, and innovation ethics
   2. Global health and justice 
   3. Human enhancement and identity
   4. Public health ethics 
   5. Professional and research ethics 
   6. Evolving responsibilities of providers in new ethical landscapes