Abstract
While Bioethics is now taught at all medical colleges in the United States as well as in other nations, and while discussions about Bioethics have become frequent in most medical journals there are increasing barriers to teaching and incorporating what has been taught into daily practice. I shall discuss some of these barriers and suggest that integrating the teaching of Bioethics throughout the curriculum after presenting some of the basic theory and methodology is the most effective way of teaching this vital subject. Furthermore, courses in health care ethics are often taught as something distinct and distinguishable from one's medical practice. I shall emphasize what I consider to be the failure of Bioethics to participate effectively in creating a context whereby what has been taught can be put into praxis. In this brief article I will discuss such barriers and suggest several approaches and remedies.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Back, A. L. et al. (1996) Physician Assisted Suicide in Washington State: Patient Requests and Physician Responses. Journal of the American Medical Association 275(12), 919-923.
Christakis, N. A. (1999) A Death Foretold: Prophecy and Prognosis in Medical Care. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Dewey, J. (1988) Human Nature and Conduct. In P. Baysinger and J. A. Boydston (Eds.), John Dewey: The Middle Works (Vol. 14). Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.
Felddman, S. (1998) The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. New York: Farrar, Strauss, Giroux.
Freedman, B. (1993) Offering Truth. Archives of Internal Medicine 153, 572-576.
Husebö, S. and Klascjik, J. (2001) Palliativmedizin: Praktische Einführung in Symptomkontrolle, Ethik und Kommunikation. Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Loewy, E. H. (1986) Teaching Medical Ethics to Medical Students, Journal of Medical Education 61, 661-665.
Loewy, E. H. (1992) Textbook of Medical Ethics. New York: Plenum Publishers.
Loewy, E. H. (2002) Textbook of Health Care Ethics (2nd ed). New York: Plenum/Kluwer.
Loewy, E. H. (1998a) Curiosity, Imagination, Compassion, Science and Ethics: Do Curiosity and Imagination Serve a Central Function? Health Care Analysis, December, 6 (4), 286-294.
Loewy, E. H. (1998a) Ethical Considerations in Executing and Implementing Advance Directives. Archives of Internal Medicine 158, 321-324.
Loewy, E. H. (2000) Of Healthcare Professionals, Ethics, and Strikes. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics (9), 513-520.
Loewy, E. H. and Loewy, R. A. (2001) Bioethics at the Crossroads. Health Care Analysis 9 (4), 463-477.
Rich, B. A. (2000) An Ethical Analysis of the Barriers to Effective Pain Management. Cambridge Quarterly of Health-Care Ethics 9 (1), 54-70.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Loewy, E.H. Education, Practice and Bioethics: Growing Barriers to Ethical Practice. Health Care Analysis 11, 171–179 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025609214578
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025609214578