Ethical Issues of Decision-Making Processes in Biomedicine

A.Y. 2025/2026
6
Max ECTS
40
Overall hours
SSD
M-FIL/02
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The aim of this course is to provide students with an introduction to the discipline of bioethics - starting from a brief reconstruction of the different narratives regarding its origin, scope, epistemological status, and intended purposes - necessary to pave the way for understanding and learning the core content of the course.
This is constituted by the two following modules: i) clinical ethics and ii) research ethics.
In the Clinical Ethics module the following issues will be explained and properly discussed: models of patient-physician relationship; methodologies for addressing moral dilemmas and ethical disagreement occurring in the clinical setting; clinical ethics consultation and moral case deliberation; clinical ethics committees; telling the truth to patients.
In the Research Ethics module the following issues will be explained and properly discussed: human-subject research and its ethical tenets (informed consent; principle of clinical equipoise); ethical principles as well as biding and nonbinding regulations regulating human-subject research; conventional and unconventional research; therapeutic research vs. non therapeutic research.
Expected learning outcomes
By following this course, students will gain both substantive knowledge in bioethics and reasoning skills.
In particular, as to the former, students will acquire some basic knowledge with respect to the origin, scope, epistemological status, and intended purposes of the discipline of bioethics; the distinction between moral dilemmas and ethical disagreements; fundamental bioethics approaches (teleological, deontological, and mixed-method approaches); the definition, scope, main issues of clinical ethics and research ethics.
As to the latter, students will be able to exercise critical thinking and critical reasoning with respect to bioethics issues; learn to provide justifications for their positions; learn to distinguish between a consistent and an inconsistent moral reasoning.
Single course

This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Course syllabus
Moral Dilemmas and Disagreements
The Trolley Problem and Its Variants
Clinical Ethics and Bioethics: Similarities and Differences
Moral Theories and Ethical Principles
The Institutionalization of Clinical Ethics: Ethics Support Services, Clinical Ethics Committees, and the Role of the Ethics Consultant
Ethics and Communication in Healthcare
Informed Consent and Shared Decision-Making
Models of the Doctor-Patient Relationship
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites for admission are required.
Teaching methods
The course will be delivered through lectures supported by power points. For some specific topics it will be possible to provide exercises in the form of group work.
Teaching Resources
The assigned material will be presented by the Professor during the first lesson.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a single written test at the end of the course with open questions, some of which are questions of reasonings, while others on some specific aspects of the course. The results of the test will be uploaded through the appropriate UNIMI platform, where the student is allowed to decide whether to accept the grade or reject it. If the student would like to view the test, the professor remains available upon specific communication.
M-FIL/02 - LOGIC AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor: Sanchini Virginia
Professor(s)