Issues in Public and Community Health – HLTH 551

Course Description

This course reviews the Christian worldview and healthcare choices in the 21st century. Topics may include but are not limited to: genetic testing, eugenics, reproductive control, treating or terminating impaired infants, organ transplantation and euthanasia.

Rationale

At some time during one’s life experience, there will be health dilemmas requiring decisive action. These occurrences may be restricted to your personal life or, in the case of public health employees and clinicians, part of a daily routine of service. The purpose of this course is to examine one’s personal moral code and develop a decision-making protocol in preparation for future, bioethical dilemmas.

Measurable Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify the competing secular ethical theories and moral principles dominating healthcare delivery decisions of both individuals and institutions in early 21st Century America.
2. Critique these secular theories and principles with commandments, guidelines, and inferences from the Bible.
3. Judge selected case studies from the text(s) as to whether secular or Christian ethics/principles were applied.
4. Describe some of the prevailing moral healthcare dilemmas facing Christian consumers and providers of care.
5. Construct a personal code of decision-making principles as it relates to health behavior and future heathcare decisions.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings, presentations, and other course material.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in 3 Discussions. Each thread must be 450 words or more. The student is also required to reply to at least 2 classmates’ threads in 250 words or more.

Reflection Paper Assignments (2)

The student will submit two 4–5 page papers reflecting on a provided prompt. The student must integrate course readings, notes, and personal experiences as needed.

Position Paper Assignment

The student will be given an ethical dilemma. The student will then submit a 4–5 page paper stating and supporting what he/she believe is the correct response.

Final Paper: Protocol for Decision-Making Assignment

In 8–10 pages, the student will construct a protocol for decision making. Based on his/her life experiences and ethical foundations, he/she will create a system that can be used throughout his/her personal life and professional careers as a guideline for decision making when he/she is confronted with ethical dilemmas.

Health Care and Deception Essay Assignment

The student will submit a 5-page essay synthesizing course readings and outside research into an articulate and cogent response to the prompt.