MA Medical Ethics and Palliative Care

Nowhere is healthcare ethics more relevant than the difficult decisions taken during palliative care. The combination of advances in medical technology, increased expectations, and changing moral attitudes has given rise to a host of complex ethical and legal issues for those involved in the delivery of end-of-life healthcare. For example, who should make medical decisions for patients who are too ill to decide for themselves? What should the response be to patients who refuse treatments likely to be beneficial or demand treatments that are unlikely to succeed?The reality of these situations is rarely straightforward, especially when decision-making not only affects patients and their loved ones, but also involves a large, interdisciplinary support team, which can include physicians, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, chaplains, and dietitians. Care itself can also be provided in a variety of contexts, including in hospice, hospital, and home settings. Since multiple values lie at the heart of care giving decisions, it’s no surprise that conflict can arise.<This unique programme provides an opportunity to explore and understand the moral dilemmas confronting those involved in all aspects of end-of-life care, and the ethical, legal and policy issues that arise in palliative care and related fields.You’ll gain a solid grounding in a wide range of ethical frameworks which cover actions, consequences and character, from consequentialism and deontology to virtue or ethics of care.