LF:BLET051p Health Care Ethics - Course Information
BLET051p Health Care Ethics - lecture
Faculty of Medicineautumn 2026
- Extent and Intensity
- 1/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 2 credits for an exam). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
- Teacher(s)
- Mgr. Bc. Zdeňka Barešová (lecturer)
PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Bc. Michal Koščík, Ph.D. et Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Martin Loučka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tatiana Malatincová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Alena Slezáčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Miroslav Světlák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Rastislav Šumec, Ph.D. (lecturer) - Guaranteed by
- doc. PhDr. Alena Slezáčková, Ph.D.
Department of Medical Psychology and Ethics – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Contact Person: Blanka Suchá
Supplier department: Department of Medical Psychology and Ethics – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine (70,00 %), Department of Public Health – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine (30,00 %) - Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
- fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
- Medical Laboratory Technologist (programme LF, B-LABD)
- Laboratory Assistant (programme LF, B-SZ)
- Abstract
The course provides an introduction to healthcare and medical ethics in the context of healthcare and laboratory diagnostics. Its aim is to help students understand the basic concepts of medical ethics, the relationship between ethics and morality, and between ethics and law, and to become familiar with the most important issues and dilemmas in contemporary healthcare practice. Emphasis is placed on enabling students to apply ethical principles to communication, decision-making, and the care of patients and clients, as well as to the practice of their own healthcare profession.
The course introduces students to fundamental bioethical principles, ethical issues related to the beginning and end of life, resource allocation, transplantation, organ donation, informed consent, the ethical regulation of research, and emerging areas such as telemedicine and eHealth. It also addresses the ethical aspects of the professional role of healthcare workers, their relationship with patients and clients, and the ethical dilemmas that arise in everyday healthcare practice.
The course is based on a combination of theoretical instruction and discussion of specific ethical problems. Its aim is not only to familiarize students with the main topics in healthcare ethics, but also to develop their ability to formulate their own views in a thoughtful and respectful manner, to understand differing perspectives, and to support their arguments with reference to scholarly sources.
- Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- explain the basic concepts of medical and healthcare ethics and clarify the relationship between ethics, morality, and law;
- describe the main bioethical principles and interpret their relevance for healthcare practice;
- identify and analyse basic ethical dilemmas related to the beginning and end of life, resource allocation, transplantation, organ donation, research, and new technologies in healthcare;
- explain the importance of informed consent, advance directives, and other legal and ethical standards in the provision of healthcare;
- assess the ethical aspects of healthcare professional practice and relate ethical principles to the professional conduct of healthcare workers towards patients and clients;
- formulate and defend their own position on a selected ethical issue using sound arguments and scholarly sources;
- engage in a respectful and professional discussion of ethically challenging topics, with respect for differing views.
- Key topics
- Ethics, morality, and law – basic concepts and relationships
- The story and role of ethics in medicine
- Theoretical foundations of medical ethics
- Ethical laws and their origins
- The four principles of medical ethics
- Informed consent
- Ethical regulation of research
- The concept of the slippery slope and its relevance for medical decision-making
- Assisted reproduction, the status of the human embryo, reproductive and therapeutic cloning
- Ethical aspects of transplantation and organ donation
- Conflicts of interest in medicine
- Alternative, holistic, and integrative approaches in medicine
- Ethical aspects of telemedicine and eHealth in the process of integration into clinical practice
- Ethical issues related to the practice of healthcare professions and professional conduct towards patients and clients
- Study resources and literature
- required literature
- VÁCHA, Marek Orko; Radana KÖNIGOVÁ and Miloš MAUER. Základy moderní lékařské etiky. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 2012, 302 s. ISBN 9788073677800. info
- recommended literature
- ŠIMEK, Jiří. Lékařská etika. 1. vydání. Praha: Grada, 2015, 222 stran. ISBN 9788024753065. info
- Jonsen, A. R., Siegler, M., & Winslade, W. J. (2019). Klinická etika: Praktický přístup k etickým rozhodnutím v klinické medicíně. Triton.
- HAŠKOVCOVÁ, Helena. Lékařská etika. Čtvrté, aktualizované a r. Praha: Galén, 2015, 225 stran. ISBN 9788074922046. info
- Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Teaching is designed as a combination of theoretical instruction and seminar-based discussion. Its aim is to introduce students to the basic topics of healthcare ethics while also developing their ability to identify, reflect on, and discuss ethical problems in relation to the practice of a healthcare profession.
The teaching includes explanatory input on individual thematic areas, work with specific examples, and guided discussions of selected ethical dilemmas. Emphasis is placed on students’ active participation, the formulation of their own views, understanding different lines of argumentation, and the ability to support their positions with recommended reading and scholarly sources.
Throughout the course, students will be guided in particular towards:
- understanding basic ethical principles and their relevance for healthcare practice;
- relating ethical topics to real-life situations in healthcare;
- recognising tensions between ethical, legal, and professional perspectives;
- engaging in respectful and professional discussion of controversial topics;
- reflecting on the ethical aspects of their own professional conduct and the responsibility of healthcare workers.
- Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
The course is completed by an oral colloquium.
Assessment of learning outcomes takes place continuously throughout the course through students’ active participation and their engagement in discussions of the ethical topics covered. Emphasis is placed on the ability to respond substantively to the issues presented, formulate one’s own position, and participate in professional debate with respect for differing views.
The oral colloquium primarily assesses:
- familiarity with the basic concepts of healthcare and medical ethics;
- understanding of the main bioethical principles and their application to selected situations;
- the ability to analyse an ethical dilemma and formulate a professionally justified position on it;
- the ability to engage in thoughtful and well-structured argumentation based on the topics covered and the recommended literature.
Successful completion of the course requires active participation in lectures and successful completion of the oral colloquium.
- Alternate completion
- In justified cases, such as a study stay abroad, long-term illness, parenthood, or caring for a family member, the course may be completed in an alternative form by prior agreement with the teacher. The alternative form of completion usually consists of self-study of materials provided in the interactive syllabus and the preparation of a written assignment. In such cases, the colloquium is replaced by an individual oral or written form of assessment, as agreed with the teacher.
- Language of instruction
- Czech
- Study support
- https://is.muni.cz/do/rect/el/estud/lf/ps21/lekarska_etika/web/index.html
- Further Comments
- The course is taught annually.
- Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
- Enrolment Statistics (autumn 2026, recent)
- Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/med/autumn2026/BLET051p