Medical Ethics and Law

This short textbook of ethics and law is aimed at doctors in training and in practice. Medical ethics and law are now firmly embedded in the curricula of medical schools. The ability to make clinical decisions on the basis of critical reasoning is a skill that is rightly presumed as necessary in today's doctors. Medical decisions involve not only scientific understanding but also ethical values and legal analysis. The belief that it is ethically right to act in one way rather than another should be based on good reasons: it is not enough to follow what doctors have always done, nor what experienced doctors now do.

The third edition has been revised and updated to reflect changes in the core curriculum for students, developments in the law as well as advances in medicine and technology. It includes a new ‘extensions’ section, providing an outline of important developing areas in medical ethics.

• The first part of the book covers the foundations of ethics and law in the context of medicine.
• The second part covers specific core topics that are essential for health professionals to understand.
• The third section of the book includes new chapters on cutting edge topics that will be crucial for the doctors and health professionals of tomorrow.

Part 1: Foundations

1. Reasoning about ethics.

2. Ethical theories and perspectives.

3. Three core concepts in medical ethics - best interests, autonomy and rights.

4. An introduction to law.

5. Doctors and patients: relationships and responsibilities.

Part 2: Core topics

6. Consent

7. Capacity

8. Mental Health

9. Confidentiality

10. Resource allocation

11. Children and young people

12. Disability and disease

13. Reproductive medicine

14. End of Life

15. Organ transplantation and definitions of death

16. Medical Research and audit

Part 3: Extensions

17. Neuroethics

18. Genethics

19. Information ethics

20. Public health ethics