Issues in Public and Community Health – HLTH 551
CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 07/28/2020
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.
Prerequisites
None
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:
- Identify the competing secular ethical theories and moral principles dominating healthcare delivery decisions of both individuals and institutions in early 21st Century America.
- Critique these secular theories and principles with commandments, guidelines, and inferences from the Bible.
- Judge selected case studies from the text(s) as to whether secular or Christian ethics/principles were applied.
- Describe some of the prevailing moral healthcare dilemmas facing Christian consumers and providers of care.
- 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 Module/Week 1.
Discussion Board Forums (3)
Discussion Boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in 3 Discussion Board Forums. 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 Papers (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. These assignments are due through the SafeAssign link.
Position Paper
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. This assignment is due through the SafeAssign link.
Final Paper
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. This assignment is due through the SafeAssign link.
Midterm Essay Exam
The student will be given a prompt that will suffice as the topic for his/her Midterm Essay Exam. The student will submit a 5-page essay synthesizing course readings and outside research into an articulate and cogent response to the prompt. This assignment is due through the SafeAssign link.
