LWQ164 Health Care Law and Ethics

Unit Outline: Session 1 2024, QUT Online, Online

Overview

The relationship between law and ethics in healthcare is important, as health knowledge and interventions and our understandings of the respective roles, responsibilities and rights of health professionals, health organisations, patients and the state, amongst others, continue to rapidly develop and evolve. This unit explores the relationship between law and ethics to lay the foundations of an understanding of both law and ethics as they relate to healthcare.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Critically appraise the dynamic nature of law and ethics in healthcare in terms of their continuing development and the impact of various legal, ethical, moral, economic, political, philosophical, social and cultural factors on developments in this area (Course Learning Outcomes 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1)
2. Clearly articulate and defend positions on a range of issues at the intersection of healthcare ethics and law in a respectful, constructive and persuasive manner that acknowledges contrasting perspectives (CLOs 5.1, 5.2, 5.3), and
3. Conduct research comprising critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of complex legal and ethical issues in a healthcare context (CLOs 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2).

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit will be delivered in external and block modes. For external students, the unit will be conducted online. For block mode students, the unit will be delivered over four days (approximately six to seven hours of classes each day) with a total of 26 hours of classes. Attendance is essential for students enrolled in block mode.

The unit is divided into select topics with prescribed readings and questions to focus your reading. It will be taught using a seminar format, which will involve the lecturer introducing the topic and identifying key areas of inquiry and discussion. For block mode students, there will then be lecturer-led discussions. External students will be required to engage with the online material and complete a workbook.

Students are expected to be familiar with the readings for each topic and able to contribute to a meaningful discussion of relevant issues. There will be a strong emphasis on critical analysis. Where appropriate, guest speakers may contribute to the seminars.

Students will have the opportunity to consult with staff on an informal basis about any aspect of the unit throughout the intensive teaching period and prior to the date for the submission of the research paper.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback on the development of your understanding of law and ethics examined in this unit is provided through:

• the face-to-face lecture program, for block mode students
  
• feedback on the workbook, for external students
  
• the individual written feedback on your research outline and research paper
  
• the option of private consultation with a member of the teaching team during student consultation.
  

Assessment

Overview

Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Workbook

For external students: completion of the workbook requires you to articulate and defend positions on a range of issues at the intersection of healthcare ethics and law in a respectful, constructive and persuasive manner that acknowledges contrasting perspectives. You will be provided with readings to undertake and questions to answer that require you to critically analyse the information read.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Relates to learning outcomes
1-2

Assessment: Outline for research paper

a research methodology. It should explain the issues you propose to explore; justify the contribution that the paper is making to scholarship; identify and justify the methods to be adopted; and identify relevant preliminary primary and secondary sources.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Relates to learning outcomes
1-3

Assessment: Research Paper

The research paper is an extended written paper about an issue of your choice (formally approved by the lecturer) concerning healthcare law and ethics. The aim is to produce a scholarly article of publishable quality that identifies, synthesises, and analyses the ethical and legal implications of the issue. This involves a high level of critical analysis and argument in which you must, amongst other things, consider ethical, moral, philosophical, legal, economic, political, cultural and/or social issues that are relevant to the issue. 5000 words (minimum) on approved topic.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Relates to learning outcomes
3

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with this unit.