Ethics is the science or morals or moral principles and codes.  Medical Ethics is the realm of ethics that relates to the choices that physicians and health professionals confront in reference to different aspects of medicine.  Basically, this branch includes medical decisions that reflect issues of morality and right and wrong, and those issues which vary among the population depending on an individual's belief.  There are a number of topics that are under heated debate in today's society that are considered ethical questions of medicine.  Some of these include abortion, euthanasia, research, and cloning.  In short, medical ethics is a kind of science that deals with the moral questions confronting our society in reference to medicine, healthcare, and life and death medical decisions.
 

 Who should decide what medical ethics are?  (http://www.umr.org/HTdeath2.htm)
This website discusses Dr. Robert L. Fines definition of medical ethics and explains his division of medical decision making, which he outlines with two classifications.  This site also discusses medical ethics in the classrooms of medical school and hospital ethics committees.

Medical Ethics   (http://www.scu.edu/Ethics/cgi-bin/article_display.cgi?family=medical)
This website contains many articles regarding different areas of medical ethics such as advanced directives, cloning, access to care and organ/tissue donation.

THE PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL ETHICS  (http://www.frii.com/~hageseth/ethics.html)
The principles of medical ethics with annotations especially applicable to Psychiatry.

Issues: Background on the Right to Die  (http://www.choices.org/issues.htm#Top)
Choices in dying issues-background on the Right to Die.  This website defines the different terms that are relevant to both passive and active euthanasia, discusses the right to die as a pertinent social concern, and provides facts about end of life care.

Partial birth abortion- all sides of the issue  (http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_pba.htm)
This site explains the necessity of this procedure and why and how they are performed.  It also discusses misconceptions about the procedure and the legislature regarding PBA.

Cloning- a special report  (http://www.nsplus.com/nsplus/insight/clone/clone.html)
This website discusses the cloning of the fully grown mammal, Dolly the lamb, and gives the user a chance to voice opinions on the topic.  It also contains detailed articles on the implications of this research.

Society, Religion, and Technology Project-Church of Scotland-The ethics of Xenografting-transplanting animal organs into humans. (http://webzone1.co.uk/www/srtproject/xennuf03.htm)
This site discusses the church's work relating to this issue and both the human and animal ethical issues that are involved.  It summarizes the genetically modified pig heart technology and provides links for possible objections in principle- unnaturalness, theological issues, heart issues, and intuitive repulsion.

Additions submitted by Laura Luth, Fall, 1998:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY    (http://bioethics.gov/pubs/executive.htm)
This site discusses cloning, its possible harms to children, and
recommendations by the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) of
addressing legal issues.

MORAL ISSUES IN GENETIC COUNSELING   (http://www.ualberta.ca~ethicsbb6-1mor.htm)
This link, written by Dr. Patrick Ferreira, discusses genetic counseling, its promises, problems, and limitations.

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN IN RESEARCH
(http://www.nih/gov:80/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html)
NIH issued new policies and guidelines on the inclusin of children as participants involving human subjects.

Additions submitted by Adam LaRue, Fall, 1998:

Medical Ethics: The Jewish Student Online Research Center   (http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Judaism/medtoc.html)

A Medical or a Human Rights Issue?   (http://www.eirp.org/library/ethics/milos-macris/)

Medical Ethics and the Law   (http://www.afss.com:80/medliab.htm)
 

Return to class readings page:  Kinesiology 493: Philosophy of Kinesiology