Designed for students pursuing careers in a variety of health care programs, ETHICS OF HEALTH CARE: A GUIDE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE, 4e, delivers an excellent background in legal and ethical theory while emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, and professional behavior. The 4th edition has been completely updated to modernize content and streamline its focus to reflect the needs of today’s health care students. The first four chapters provide foundational knowledge students need to understand the legal system and ethical theory as it relates to health care practice. Building on these concepts, readers explore ethical and legal health care controversies through a wide variety of issues such as reproductive health, organ donation, physician assisted dying, just allocation of health care, cloning and genetics, and human enhancements. Legal and ethical case studies, current news stories, and problems stimulate discussion and thought. By teaching the language of the legal system and biomedical ethics and focusing on critical thinking skills, the text equips students with the tools to make sound legal and ethical decisions.

1. Introduction: Obligations of a Professional.
2. Human Value Development and the System of Public Law.
3. Decision Making in Value Issues and Private Law.
4. Basic Principles of Health Care and the Nature of Rights in Ethical Discourse.
5. Confidentiality and the Management of Health Care Information.
6. Justice and the Allocation of Scarce Resources.
7. Role Fidelity.
8. Reproductive Issues.
9. Decisions at the End of Life.
10. Health Care Ethics and the Near Future.

Designed for students pursuing careers in a variety of health care programs, ETHICS OF HEALTH CARE: A GUIDE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE, 4e, delivers an excellent background in legal and ethical theory while emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, and professional behavior. The 4th edition has been completely updated to modernize content and streamline its focus to reflect the needs of today’s health care students. The first four chapters provide foundational knowledge students need to understand the legal system and ethical theory as it relates to health care practice. Building on these concepts, readers explore ethical and legal health care controversies through a wide variety of issues such as reproductive health, organ donation, physician assisted dying, just allocation of health care, cloning and genetics, and human enhancements. Legal and ethical case studies, current news stories, and problems stimulate discussion and thought. By teaching the language of the legal system and biomedical ethics and focusing on critical thinking skills, the text equips students with the tools to make sound legal and ethical decisions. All-new information regarding the American legal system and how it impacts health care practice includes information on the foundation and fundamental principles of law, common misunderstandings about the nature of law, the elements of a lawsuit, public and private law, and updated HIPAA and electronic health records information. Completely up to date with the latest advances and issues from the field, the fourth edition includes recent developments in the distribution of health care and world health care models as well as the legal status of physician assisted death in Western nations. New material has been added on CRISPR technique, synthetic organisms, genetic testing, Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA), and human enhancement. The Reproductive Issues chapter has been thoroughly updated with new abortion statistics as well as information on the politics of abortion. Objectives: Each chapter begins with instructional objectives designed to help readers focus on the main ideas. Key Terms: A list of key terms is provided for each chapter. Key terms are highlighted with boldface type when they first appear in the text to alert students to important concepts as they are introduced. The glossary defining these key terms is at the end of the book. Case Studies: Found throughout the chapters, these scenarios mirror real-world practice and are followed by critical thinking questions that help students synthesize information. Legal Case Studies: Drawing from actual legal cases, hands-on case studies throughout the book encourage students to reflect on the laws that impact health care decisions. In the News: Showcasing real-life news stories, In the News features highlight current legal and ethical issues -- prompting lively classroom discussion.