Product Description

Issues in medical ethics are rarely out of the media and it is an area of ethics that has particular interest for the general public as well as the medical practitioner. This short and accessible introduction provides an invaluable tool with which to think about the ethical values that lie at the heart of medicine. Tony Hope deals with the thorny moral questions such as euthanasia and the morality of killing, and also explores political questions such as: how should health care resources be distributed fairly? Each chapter in this book considers a different issue: genetics, modern reproductive technologies, resource allocation, mental health, medical research, and discusses controversial questions such as: · Who should have access to reproductive technology? Who should pay? · Is it right to fund expensive drug treatment for individuals? · Should active euthanasia be legalized? · Should treatment for mental illness be imposed on patients without their consent? · Who should have access to information from genetic testing? · Should we require consent for the use of dead bodies or organs in medical research?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2191 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 170 pages

About the Author
Tony Hope is Professor of Medical Ethics, University of Oxford, and an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. He is founder of the Oxford Centre of Ethics and Communication Skills in Health Care Practice (Ethox), and co-author of both The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine and Manage Your Mind, both published by OUP.

Customer Reviews

A timely edition to the ethics literature, for a hot area
This well-balanced and expertly crafted paperback fills a critical gap in 21st Century medical education. It addresses hot issues in the UK, such as the current debate on 'assisted dying' (active euthanasia). Rarified jargon and obscure legal precedents are avoided, wisely, and I have already recommended it for postgraduate students in our PGME centre. The issues covered would apply widely in healthcare training, and this could become a classic 'Introduction' for both medical and nursing undergraduate courses in ethics and in social policy.

Great buy
Clearly and concisely written this book puts forward a number of extremely interesting arguments surrounding various topics in medical ethics. Contains useful information about how (if at all) these arguments influence real-life practice. Does pretty much exactly what the title would suggest. Excellent value for money.

Short and concise
Challenges views on what actually are ethical issues. Good classification of these issues. Very quick to read and absorb