HCO 670 Downloadable Syllabus

UAB School of Public Health Social and Ethical Issues in Public Health

Course Number: HCO 670Q

Course Title: Social and Ethical Issues in Public Health

Credit Hours: 3

Course Offering: Fall 2016

Course Instructor: Lisle S. Hites, MS, MEd, PhD

Teaching Assistant:  Jessica L. Thames, MPH

 

Student Engagement Hours (Office Hours):

Office hours are by appointment only. If you are having any trouble with Canvas or have questions about any of the assignments, please follow the e-mail policy.

E-mail Policy:

Initial point of contact should be made with the professor and/or the TA. Email will be checked daily and a response will be provided within 48 hours. The TA will also check emails daily as well and respond within 48 hours.

Preferred Method of Contact: Dr. Hites

Office Telephone: 205.975.8980

Office Facsimile: 205.934.3347 Email: Lhites@uab.edu

RPHB 310D

TA

Email: jlthames@uab.edu

Course Clock:

The times used in this syllabus are all Central Standard Time. Modules open every Monday at 8:00 a.m. and close every Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

Introduction to the Course

This class examines ethical issues related to public health research and practice, and explores the

social issues that complicate ethical decision-making.  There are no pre-requisites. This class is open to all students with graduate standing.  It is a required course for the MPH in Health Policy, the MPH in Public Health Preparedness, the MSPH in Outcomes Research and the DrPH in Public Health Management.

Description and Purpose of the Course:

All professional decision making in the health arena involves two components: (1) a technical decision requiring the application of scientific knowledge to health problems and (2) an ethical decision requiring that choices for action reflect the values and interests held by those involved with the health problem.  While all decisions reflect some value system, we are sometimes unaware of which guiding values are involved in choices and what the consequences of the choices are for different stakeholders.  Further, it is not uncommon, for professionals to face the need to make choices that conflict with values held by some stakeholders involved in the health problem.  In addition, it is frequently the case that social and political circumstances make it difficult to carry out a decision that is in accord with the values of participants.  Such social issues can also obscure the ethical consequences of decisions. 

 

Prerequisites:

None

Learning Objectives/Course Competencies Alignment: (If applicable)

At the completion of this course students will be able to:

 

Objectives	Competencies
1. Identify ethical issues, points of ethical conflict, consequences of professional decisions and the social issues involved in public health research and practice	HCOP 5- Apply “systems thinking” for resolving public health practice issues
2. Identify central concepts in ethical decision making in these areas, e.g., informed consent, conflict of interest, human rights, autonomy, and utilitarianism	MPH 1- Apply design and analytical methods to describe, implement, evaluate, and interpret research addressing public health concerns
3. Reflect critically on their personal values and on the professional obligations of public health researchers and practitioners	MPH 1- Apply design and analytical methods to describe, implement, evaluate, and interpret research addressing public health concerns
4. Apply moral reasoning skills to resolve ethical dilemmas in concrete public health cases.	MPH 4- Communicate public health issues, research, practice, intervention stratergies effectively

 

System Requirements:

View the system requirements specified by the School of Public Health. If your computer does not meet the standards, you may encounter problems testing or accessing content. Laptops that do not meet the standards may not be used for testing. If you use a laptop that does not meet the minimum requirements, you will not be given additional time or opportunities during an exam as a result of laptop issues. Contact 205-934-7728 for technical problems within the School of Public Health or AskIT@uab.edu or call 205-996-5555 for other technical problems.

 

Browser Requirements:

Students will need to use Firefox or Google Chrome browsers in order to access Canvas.

Online Delivery System (Course Platform):

This course will be delivered through Canvas by Instructure. You can access Canvas through BlazerNet or by visiting http://uab.instructure.com. You should log in using your Blazer ID and password. At any time you can contact the Canvas support team or user guides by clicking the Help button in the top right-hand side of the screen. You can also contact the following for assistance:

 

Eric Abshire                                        Jessica Thames

Email: eabshire@uab.edu                   Email: jlthames@uab.edu

Phone: (205) 934-6795                       Phone: (205) 975-2342

Course Policies and Procedures:

Scenarios will open on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:00 a.m. (see course calendar for dates). You will still have access to material after the end of the module, but no additional posts to discussion boards or assignments will be accepted after this date/time. Assignments should be submitted through Canvas (or emailed to professor) by the specified due date. Each assignment will have a submission link. Papers will be checked by Turnitin.com within the Canvas system.

We will discuss 11 specific ethical dilemmas over the semester. Students will be assigned roles for each scenario. These roles will be assigned the first week of class.  For each of these scenarios, each student will submit a 1-2 page position paper as their specific role which is followed by a 1-2 reaction paper in which they will react to an opposing viewpoint raised by another student in the class. These reaction/counter-position papers are intended to express differences of opinions that will inevitably exist in the real world and help you to practice seeing form the disparate perspectives of others. Position and reaction papers will be added to Canvas for to students to review after their specific due dates. After each discussion, students will be expected to write a 2 page executive summary of each dilemma-which will integrate lessons learned from all of the position papers and opposing reaction papers. This summary is to be written from your personal perspective, not from your assigned perspective and these summaries will not be shared with the other students. Templates for each paper are available on Canvas.

 

Time Requirements/Commitment:

Taking an online course often requires more time and effort than an on-campus course. This is a 3 credit hour course; you should therefore anticipate spending at least 3 hours a week watching online lectures, viewing PowerPoint lectures, participating in discussion boards, and completing online activities. Additionally, you should anticipate another two hours of study time per lecture hour. Therefore, you should expect to spend an additional 6 hours a week reading your textbook, studying notes, responding to discussion posts, and working on assigned projects and/or papers. In order to be a successful online student, you should plan to log in to the course at least 3 times a week (especially the day a new module opens), possess excellent time management and organization skills, and avoid procrastination (risk of technology failure increases as the deadline for an assignment approaches).

In order to be a successful online student, you should plan to log in to the course at least 3 times a week (especially the day a new module opens), possess excellent time management and organization skills, and avoid procrastination (risk of technology failure increases as the deadline for an assignment approaches).

 

 

Required Reading/Course Materials

Reading material will be available online using CANVAS but students will also be expected to add to these readings with their literature searching.

 

Class Format: Online

Proctoring Policy:

N/A

Grading

Participation:

In lieu of attendance, the position papers (30%) and reactions papers (30%) will serve as the participation grade (60% of overall grade).

 

Evaluation:

In lieu of attendance, the position papers (30%) and reactions papers (30%) will serve as the participation grade (60% of overall grade). In addition, students will be expected to write a 2 page executive summary (40% of the course grade). Late assignments will result in a deduction of points commensurate of 10% per 24 hours.

 

Grading Scale:

 

A	B	C	F
90-100	89-80	79-70	69-Below

 

Special Instructions:

Online Communication Etiquette:

When participating in a discussion, please be respectful of everyone’s post. Perspectives are being assigned, so other student’s opinions should be in accordance with this assigned role.

 

While it is expected that you will frequently disagree with the stated opinions of your classmates (as a function of your discussion posts), you should always do so in a respectful manner. This respect should be extended to entities (instructors, businesses, other students, etc.) outside of the class as well. Do not refer to people outside of the class by name or criticize other instructors or teaching methods within posts. Keep posts relevant to the discussion board topic. This is an academic discussion, not a sounding board. Additionally, you should use appropriate language in your posts: avoid “net speak” such as TTYL, LOL, L8R, U (instead of you). When beginning a post, address your post to the CLASS (in all capital letters). If you are responding, use the person’s name to whom you are responding in all capital letters (This is the only time you should use all capital letters).

 

 

Incomplete Grades:

The UAB Incomplete Grade Policy states that a temporary grade notation of “I “for incomplete may be requested by the student prior to the end of the term and submitted at the course master’s discretion due to unforeseen circumstances that effect the student’s ability to complete course requirements. Students requesting consideration of an “I” grade must discuss with the course instructor, and agree upon a plan and a schedule for, completion of course requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate this discussion, assure completion of this form and return it to the Office of Student and Academic Services. If no permanent grade is reported by the end of the subsequent term, an “F” will be automatically assigned to replace the “I”. Extension of “I”

grades may be granted only upon written request of the course instructor to the associate dean for academic affairs. Here is the web link for SOPH Incomplete Grade Request Form: http://www.soph.uab.edu/media/osas%20forms/I%20grade%20form.pdf.

 

Policy on late assignments:

Late assignments will result in a deduction of points commensurate of 10% per 24 hours.

 

Accessibility:

Any student with a disability that may need accommodations in order to successfully complete all requirements of (this) course should call the Office of Disability Support Services, at 205- 934-4205. This office is responsible for registering students and in ensuring the University's compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once registered, this office will then inform faculty members of all courses in which the student is enrolled of the student's status and the specific nature of any accommodations required. Any student requiring such accommodation should discuss this with the course master and assure that the appropriate correspondence is sent from the Office of Disability Support Services.

 

 

Honor Code:

As a student in the School of Public Health, you are subject to the School of Public Health Student Honor Code which can be found at http://www.soph.uab.edu/about/vision/honorcode. You are responsible to understand the contents of the Honor Code and to abide by it. Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism is the undocumented use of other authors' words, texts, images, and ideas that don't come from your own head. Making up sources, altering numbers, statistics, or just a

 

few words of a document is considered plagiarism. Poor documentation or paraphrasing of a source is also considered plagiarism. Plagiarism in this course is taken seriously; any violations will be punished to the full extent allowable under the School of Public Health Honor Code. All assignments will be submitted through the Turn-It–In system to document the originality of your contributions to the class.

 

Note: Instructors reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus or course content at any time. It is your responsibility to check the modules and announcements often for changes in assignment requirements, due dates, and materials.

 

Course Calendar:

 

 

Module #	Topic	Readings	Activities/Due Dates
Module 1	Introductions Scenario 1: Ebola		Introduce Yourself: Due August 31 by 11:59pm   Position Paper: Due September 2 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due September 7 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due September 12 by 08:00am
Module 2	Scenario 2: Poisoned Fruit: Use of Unethically Attained Information	Taylor, T. “The Nuremberg Doctor’s Trial” in Mann et al (eds) Health and Human Rights, A Reader 1999 Routledge,   Clinic Tools Inc.  Guidelines for Responsible Data management in Scientific Research. DHHS, PHS: Office of Research Integrity http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/rcr_data.shtml	Position Paper: Due September 14 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due September 16 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due September 19 by 08:00am
Module 3	Scenario 3: Finances and Prioritizing Resource Allocation	Garland, M. and Stull, J. “Public Health and Health System Reform:  Access, Priority Setting, and Allocation of Resources” in Ethics and Public Health: Model Curriculum Association of Schools of Public Health, 2003.   Hadorn, D. “Setting Health Care Priorities in Oregon: Cost Effectiveness Meets the Rule of Rescue” JAMA 1991;265:2218-25   Daniels, N. Saloner, B., Gelpi, A.H.  “Access, Cost, and Financing: Achieving An Ethical Health Reform”. Health Affairs 2009: 28(5):W909-16	Position Paper: Due September 21 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due September 23 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due September 26 by 08:00am
Module 4	Scenario 4: Ethics in Research Design	Marshall, P.A., “Public Health Research and Practice in International Settings: Special Ethical Concerns” in Ethics and Public Health: Model Curriculum Association of Schools of Public Health, 2003.   Glantz, L.H., Annas, G.J., Grodin, M.A., Mariner W.K. “Research in Developing Countries: Taking ‘Benefit’ Seriously” Hastings Center Report 1998, 28(6):85-89.   Coughlin, S. “Ethically Optimized Study Designs in Epidemiology” in Coughlin and Beauchamp, eds. Ethics and Epidemiology Oxford U Press 1996.	Position Paper: Due September 28 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due September 30 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due October 3 by 08:00am
Module 5	Scenario 5: Ethics and the Institutional Review Board (IRB)	National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.  The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research  DHEW, April 18, 1979   Pimple, K.D. “Six Domains of Research Ethics, A Heuristic Framework for the Responsible Conduct of Research” Science and Engineering Ethics 2002, 8:191-205.   Parker, L., Alvarez, H.K., Thomas, S.  “The Legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study” in Ethics and Public Health: Model Curriculum Association of Schools of Public Health, 2003.	Position Paper: Due October 5 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due October 7 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due October 10 by 08:00am
Module 6	Scenario 6: Genetic Testing		Position Paper: Due October 12 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due October 14 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due October 17 by 08:00am
Module 7	Scenario 7: Altered Standards of Care		Position Paper: Due October 19 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due October 21 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: October 24 by 08:00am
Catch Up Week October 24- 31st: catch up on weekly readings, late/missed assignments
Module 8	Scenario 8: Preparedness Ethics	Brodie, M, Weitzien E., Altman D et al “Experiences of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Houston Shelters: Implications for Future Planning” Am J Public Health 2006; 96(5):1402-1408   Glik, D. C.  “Risk Communication for Public Health Emergencies”  Annual Review of Public Health 2007, 28:33-54   Gostin, L.O., Bayer, R, Fairchild, A.L.  “Ethical and legal challenges posed by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Implications for the control of severe infectious disease threats” JAMA 2003; 290(24):3229-3237   Singer et al. “Ethics and SARS: Lessons from Toronto” BMJ 2003; 327:1342-44.  Summary of New York Times articles about the Andrew Speaker MDR TB incident   Fairchild, A.L., J. Colgrove, M.M. Jones, “The Challenge of Mandatory Evacuation: Providing For and Deciding For.”  Health Affairs 2006; 25(4):958-967.	Position Paper: Due November 2 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due November 4 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due November 7 by 08:00am
Module 9	Scenario 9: Sex Workers		Position Paper: Due November 9 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due November 11 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due November 14 by 08:00am
Module 10	Scenario 10: Social Justice		Position Paper: Due November 16 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due November 18 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due November 28 by 08:00am
Fall Break: November 20-27
Module 11	Scenario 11:		Position Paper: Due November 30 by 11:59pm   Reaction Paper: Due December 2 by 11:59pm   Executive Summary: Due December 5 by 08:00am
Catch Up Week December 5-9: catch up on weekly readings, late/missed assignments
Final Exam Week: December 12-16