LAW131 Legal and Ethical Issues in Health (8)

This subject aims to acquaint students with current ethical and legal issues in relation to, and arising from, modern health care practice. Using a range of ethical principles, the subject examines the role of ethics and law in health care, paying particular attention to issues such as professional responsibility and the duty of care; the rights of patients and consumers of the health system; health information, as well as a range of other current ethical and legal issues.

Availability

Session 2 (60)
Online
Wagga Wagga Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: LAW131. Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject Information

Grading System

HD/FL

Duration

One session

School

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Enrolment Restrictions

Not available to students who have previously completed ETH403 or SSC502

Incompatible Subjects

ETH403, SSC502

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to demonstrate their knowledge of ethical theories and principles and their implications for practice in modern health care settings;
  • be able to employ forms of ethical reasoning in a variety of health care contexts;
  • be able to demonstrate their familiarity with legal requirements which bear on biomedical science and research, nursing and allied health care; and
  • be able to demonstrate their familiarity with professional legal and ethical responsibilities.

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:
  • Ethical Theories, including Ethical Relativism
  • The prima facie principles of Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Autonomy and Justice
  • The Health Professional as Autonomous Moral Agent
  • The Australian Legal System
  • Consent to Treatment
  • Duty of Care
  • Health Information including Privacy and Confidentiality
  • Ethics of Resource Rationing
  • Other topics in law and ethics relevant to particular cohorts of health professional

Indicative Assessment

The following table summarises the assessment tasks for the online offering of LAW131 in Session 2 2019. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated and can also differ to suit the mode of study (online or on campus).

Item Number
Title
Value %
1
Short essay 1
35
2
Short essay 2
40
3
Review exercise
25

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: October 2020. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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