Research

26Feb15  A Faster Way to Try Many Drugs on Many Cancers - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/health/fast-track-attacks-on-cancer-accelerate-hopes.html?emc=edit_th_20150226&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=1&referrer

Does this situation comport with our ethical guidelines? What other concerns might you have about like situations?

Current Events Feb

4Mar15 King v. Burwell is the case being heard today at the U.S. Supreme Court.  We'll talk about health care reform later in the semester, but since there is coverage now about the Sup. Ct. case, I wanted to post it for you.  The Diane Rehm show is longer; the NPR report is 8 min. and gives a good overview about the case, the background, and what is at stake.

• http://thedianerehmshow.org/audio/#/shows/2015-03-03/king-v-burwell-and-the-future-of-obamacare/@00:00
• http://www.npr.org/2015/03/03/390431475/round-two-health-care-law-faces-the-supreme-court-again

 
26Feb15  UK OKs Three-Parent IVF

If you didn't read about this situation earlier, here's another article:  By Bob Grant The British House of Lords has approved new rules regarding the creation of embryos using genetic material from three donors  http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/42277/title/UK-OKs-Three-Parent-IVF/
 
18Feb15 The Modern Asylum - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/opinion/the-modern-asylum.html?referrer=

18Feb15 Doctors Strive to Do Less Harm by Inattentive Care - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/health/doctors-strive-to-do-less-harm-by-inattentive-care.html?referrer=

Analysis of Being Mortal (due 17 Feb & 24 Feb)

By 17 Feb
1. Watch the show, Being Mortal, which airs tonight, Tues 10 Feb at 10pm (or watch later streaming online).  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/
2. Analyze the show using our reading by Childress & Siegler (presented by Emily in class on Mon 9 Feb).  What models/metaphors describe most end-of-life care in America today?  Would it be better to use a different metaphor?  Explain.

By 24 Feb
3. Respond to at least 2 of your classmates' posts; develop the conversation by addressing one or more of the following:
* What has surprised you about the content of the video or your classmates' response(s)? 
* What is the role of medicine? How should it address aging and dying?  Gawande says they are unfixable.  Does that mean there is nothing to do about them?
* What was the most optimistic part/message of the video?

Case 25 Anencephalic Newborns

Please read the case, then discuss the questions from an Ethics of Care perspective and then a Virtue Ethics perspective.  Respond to at least 2 of your classmates' posts.  The goal is a dialogue, not just a quick answer to the case question.