Law and Ethics in the Health Sector
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims at the following educational objectives:
- Knowledge of the conceptual foundations of the subject, of the main current theories and of the state of the art of the current discussion;
- Ability to re-elaborate the topics covered by the lessons and to apply the theoretical cases to concrete situations;
- Use of an appropriate language in the presentation of the problems and in the argumentation for or against a certain choice.
- Knowledge of the conceptual foundations of the subject, of the main current theories and of the state of the art of the current discussion;
- Ability to re-elaborate the topics covered by the lessons and to apply the theoretical cases to concrete situations;
- Use of an appropriate language in the presentation of the problems and in the argumentation for or against a certain choice.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student will have taken over the contents of the course, will have developed adequate argumentative skills and will have acquired appropriate competences to favor the continuation of studies with a deeper awareness of the juridical and moral dimension of some organizational and managerial problems in the health sector.
Lesson period: First trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
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
Responsible
Course syllabus
The teaching programme includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:
1. Ethics and theories of justice. Law and ethics.
2. The concept of health
3. The concept of disease
4. The doctor-patient relationship. The Law 219/2017.
5. Women's freedom of self-determination in choosing the mode of childbirth.
6. Medically assisted procreation (pma).
7. Follow-up (pma): open issues
8. Gestation for others
9. Frontiers of procreation: artificial wombs, womb transplantation and genome editing
10. Next: embryonic genome editing
11. Voluntary termination of pregnancy: legal framework and open issues
12. Mental illness and the TSO
13. Transplantation from the deceased
14. Clinical trials
15. Neuroscience - cognitive enhancement
16. End of life: euthanasia and assisted suicide
1. Ethics and theories of justice. Law and ethics.
2. The concept of health
3. The concept of disease
4. The doctor-patient relationship. The Law 219/2017.
5. Women's freedom of self-determination in choosing the mode of childbirth.
6. Medically assisted procreation (pma).
7. Follow-up (pma): open issues
8. Gestation for others
9. Frontiers of procreation: artificial wombs, womb transplantation and genome editing
10. Next: embryonic genome editing
11. Voluntary termination of pregnancy: legal framework and open issues
12. Mental illness and the TSO
13. Transplantation from the deceased
14. Clinical trials
15. Neuroscience - cognitive enhancement
16. End of life: euthanasia and assisted suicide
Prerequisites for admission
Please see the Programme description and courses list.
Teaching methods
The teaching includes lectures with strong student involvement, in the form of group discussions initiated by the teacher or by the students themselves.
Attendance is optional, but strongly recommended.
Attendance is optional, but strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
For attending students: materials published and available on the course website My ariel.
For non-attending students: one of the following texts of their choice:
- A. Santosuosso, M. Tomasi, Diritto, scienza, nuove tecnologie, CEDAM, Milano, 2021, except pages 295 to 403; or
- L. Palazzani, Dalla bio-etica alla tecno-etica: nuove sfide al diritto, Giappichelli, Torino, 2017, except pages 55 to 90, 293 to 333, and 358 to 374.
For non-attending students: one of the following texts of their choice:
- A. Santosuosso, M. Tomasi, Diritto, scienza, nuove tecnologie, CEDAM, Milano, 2021, except pages 295 to 403; or
- L. Palazzani, Dalla bio-etica alla tecno-etica: nuove sfide al diritto, Giappichelli, Torino, 2017, except pages 55 to 90, 293 to 333, and 358 to 374.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam aims to verify the knowledge of the fundamental concepts and theories of the subject, the ability to organize this knowledge discursively, the ability to develop a critical reasoning on the contents of the subject, the quality of the exposure and the lexicon used.
For non-attending students, the examination will be oral.
Attending students may choose between two options: 1) oral examination only, or 2) short paper plus oral examination.
For non-attending students, the examination will be oral.
Attending students may choose between two options: 1) oral examination only, or 2) short paper plus oral examination.
Professor(s)