Medical Decision Making: Ethics and Law

This flexible CPD in Medical Decision Making: Ethics and Law is suitable for anyone in healthcare or legal professions (or anyone else who is interested in this area).

This CPD course consists of nine individual course units as shown above.

Each course unit walks you through the main issues (with case studies and activities for active learning and reflection), a summary of these issues to consolidate your study and finishes with a multiple-choice quiz to check your progress.

We provide further reading suggestions to follow up on areas of interest, as well as full access to University resources including online journals and databases.

• To offer you the opportunity to understand the central ethical and legal issues around medical and healthcare decision-making
• Provide you with the opportunity to gain the skills needed to apply your understanding to real-world scenarios in a diverse range of contexts.
• To enhance your skills in analysing and developing ethical arguments.

Introduction to Ethics

• Explore the relationship between ethics and law
• Explore theoretical approaches used in ethics
• Explore critical thinking to deal with ethical questions

Introduction to Law and Legal Research

• Explain the basics of the English legal system
• Explain the principal sources of law in the English Legal system
• Develop skills in finding and reading case law and understanding legal terminology

The Moral and Legal Importance of the Principle of Respect for Individual Autonomy

• Explore the central ethical and legal importance of the principle of respect for individual autonomy in medical/healthcare decision-making
• Explore how this ethical principle contrasts with medical/healthcare paternalism
• Develop skills in analysing and developing ethical arguments in relation to real-life cases and ethical questions

The Importance of Valid Legal Consent

• Explore what is meant by valid legal consent
• Understand what is needed for consent to be considered legally valid
• Relate your learning to real-world and hypothetical cases

How Much Information Is Enough?

• Explore how much and what kind of information should be provided for consent to be valid
• Explore legal precedent in this area
• Relate your learning to real-world and hypothetical cases

Mental Capacity, Competence and Consent

• Explain what is meant by having the capacity to make decisions in healthcare settings
• Understand how capacity can be assessed in line with current legal guidance
• Provide guidance on treating adults who lack the capacity to consent to medical treatment

Refusal and Withdrawal of Treatment

• Explore the main ethical and legal issues surrounding refusal and withdrawal of medical treatment
• Gain understanding of the legal right to refuse medical treatment
• Explore the use of Advance Directives and present the current legal guidance on childbirth and refusal of treatment
• Reflect on real-life and hypothetical cases in this area including an opportunity to draft your own Advance Directive

Treating Children and Adolescents

• Explore the ethical and legal issues surrounding the treatment of neonates, children and adolescents
• Explore parenthood to understand what is meant by biological/genetic, social and legal parenthood with parental responsibility
• Explore ‘Gillick competence’ and when we should keep medical confidences related to older children

Confidentiality

• Explores the ethical and legal aspects of medical/healthcare confidentiality.
• Explore current legal guidelines on confidentiality including statute law on confidentiality.
• Explore the specific legal situation regarding confidentiality and children and adolescents.

This CPD course explores the ethical and legal aspects of medical and healthcare decision-making, with opportunities to reflect on cases and activities to help you focus on your learning.

• You may be able to claim CPD credits for the hours you spend on the course and for extra reading but check the CPD guidance for your profession first.
• Use your certificate of completion and printouts of the course content as supporting evidence when completing your CPD profile.

Delivery - 100% online content

Duration - CPD: Up to 33 hours of study for the full CPD with unlimited extra study hours from self-directed reading

Enrolment dates - Anytime

Workload - Self-paced 33-hour course to complete within 12 months of enrolment

Teaching and learning

This course is delivered 100% online through our virtual learning environment (VLE). This CPD is not moderated, and you can study at your own pace, to complete within 12 months of enrolment.