Titel: Death Without Suffering: Ethical issues of medically assisted death and palliative care in pluralistic societies (advanced European bioethics course)
Termin:
1.4.2004
Veranstaltungsort:
Nijmegen
The Netherlands
Referenten: Prof. Dr. Diego Gracia Guillen (Madrid, Spain) * Wim Dekkers (Nijmegen, Netherlands) * Zbigniew Zylicz (Rozendaal, Netherlands) * Prof. Dick Willems (Amsterdam, Netherlands) * Rien Janssens (Nijmegen, Netherlands)
The course aims to educate the participants on two main aspects of the subject "Death without Suffering". First, philosphical, theological and medical reflections on the concepts of death and suffering will be given. Second, the course will highlight ethical questions of palliative care and medically assisted death.
COURSE PROFILE:
The Advanced European Bioethics course on "Death without Suffering" has been developed in order to address end-of-life issues in a broader social, philosophical, theological and medical framework. New developments in health care strengthen a potential of medical utopia, the promise of a better life for everyone. This process also influences the way societies and individuals deal with the end of life. The question arises what a death without suffering means; a subject of continuous longing of mankind. It requires thorough conceptual interpretation as well as ethical reflection. In the international discussion, hastening death medically has been considered a proper means to preserve personal autonomy and quality of life. An important alternative in this field is palliative care, defined by the WHO as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. The question needs to be carefully investigated if good palliative care helps to prevent the demand of euthanasia. Palliative care seems to be primarly a morally motivated concept, rather than an institutional or organisational principle. Attitudes towards death and dying, adequate pain and symptom management and foregoing medical treatment receive considerable attention. Ethical research into the morality of the concept and the practice of palliative care can clarify the coherence and differences between a painless death and a death without suffering.
COURSE METHODS:
The course will consist of a series of lectures on a variety of topics, allowing ample time to intensive discussion. Parallel sessions will be devoted to in-depth small group discussions on different real life cases and particular contemporary issues in the area of end of life decisions. Each group will consist of ten to fithteen participants, led by a faculty member.
A variety of audio-visual means, such as film, video and slides will be used to provide different points of view and approaches, thereby enhancing the educational value of the course. The language will be English.
PARTICIPANTS:
The course will be of interest to participants from diverse professional backgrounds, such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, biomedical sciences, philosophy and theology, law, politics and health care administration, health economics and senior students undertaking courses of study in these areas. The diversity among both faculty and participants is intended to stimulate fruitful exchange of ideas and enhance understanding of other professional perspectives in the area of health care. The maximum number of participants has been limited to 40, to allow for productive personal interaction.
All participants will receive a syllabus with introductory readings prior to the course. Since the programme schedule is concentrated, participants are expressly advised to prepare by studying these materials in advance. Lecturers will assume acquaintance with these basic readings.
At the conclusion of the course, all participants will receive a certificate. Participants are reminded that they may request continuing education credit hours through their professional association.
Kontakt:
Mr. Norbert Steinkamp
Ms. Valesca Hulsman
232 Dept. of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine
University Medical Centre Nijmegen
PO Box 9101
6500 HB Nijmegen
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)24 361 53 20
Fax: +31 (0)24 354 02 54
n.steinkamp@efg.umcn.nl; v.hulsman@efg.umcn.nl
Veranstalter: Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, University Medical Centre Nijmegen , Nijmegen , The Netherlands
Schlagworte: Lebensende, Lebensverlängerung, Palliativbehandlung, Sterbehilfe