An Introduction to Medical Ethics: The Impact of Disability Screening (FutureLearn)

You will build your understanding of these issues by examining the ethics of prenatal screening for disabilities, like Down Syndrome and deafness. You will also gain an introduction to bioethics and the development of medical technologies to use in health services.

Syllabus

Week 1: What is medical ethics?

Week 2: Defending your positions: When intuition is not enough

Week 3: An Ethical Toolkit – defending your position further

Week 4: Screening for Down’s Syndrome – applying what you’ve learned

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Describe what ethics is and why it is useful to consider ethical issues

- Develop confidence and skills in critical thinking and dealing with ethical questions

- Assess the ethical issues around screening for and against disability with case studies considering Down Syndrome and Deafness

- Discuss controversial ethical issues with sensitivity and respect

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone with an interest in the ethical issues surrounding screening for disability or ethics in general.

This includes healthcare professionals, policymakers, prospective parents considering prenatal screening, and the medical staff delivering these services.