Medical Ethicists
In no less than one page and no more than two consider the following question: "Are medical ethicists out of touch with the reality of managing health care and practicing medicine?" Discuss the question and take a stance. Cite references.

Example of possible situation: Hospitals directing some uninsured patients to other hospitals to stay in the black. Is, "I just can't afford it", enough of an ethical reason?

TWO.

Mission Statement

Write a mission statement for each of the following types of health care service:

1. A cancer center for children
2. A cancer center for adults
3. A cardiac service A mental hospital
4. A general hospital
   • What factors did you take into consideration for each service?
   • Did you write the same mission statement for each service?Why or why not?
   • What ethical concerns did you keep in mind for each mission statement

THREE.

Final Research Paper
Topic choices:

Your Research Paper will be due during the "finals" week of your term, Week 11. You should begin thinking about your topic choice during the second or third learning plan if not earlier. (Your instructor may open a discussion area during the last half of the class for you as you go through the steps to write your paper.) Your topic should be something that is of interest to you and perhaps one that you have had some personal experience with through either a current work environment or a past work environment. Perhaps you are struggling with a current issue or a past issue that could have been resolved in a different manner or have heard about an issue that is current in health care management. The topic must be approved by your instructor and must be related to the topics of this course - policies and ethics in healthcare management.

To help you complete your paper, please follow the steps listed below.You may also wish to visit this website for help in formulating your research question and writing your paper: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/thesis.html

STEP ONE: Choosing a Topic

• You may choose your topic from course discussions, assignments, small papers or non-graded activities.

An example of some possible topics:

1) Should healthcare be universal in the US? If so, should all members of society in the US receive healthcare regardless of their status?

2) Current and future policies concerning the choice of patients who will receive medical treatment such as organ transplantation

3) Issues of cultural differences in the medical environment

4) Profitability vs. patient care

• You may choose to do a paper on some other topic as long as it involves policies and ethics in the medical environment that is current and easily researched.
• Your paper must address the ethical principle or principles that enlighten decisions concerning policies in health care. For example, if you are discussing organ transplantation, then you must discuss the ethical principles involved and how they guide health care management policies. You must find credible references and refer to these in your paper.

Note: The theories and ethical principles that are discussed in your paper must be from the course readings. This is evidence that you understand and have considered the materials presented in this course. 

STEP TWO: Write a research question or a thesis statement

• Your research question or thesis question forms the basis for how you will address your topic and write your paper.

-Ask yourself do you want to answer a question concerning this topic?

-Do you want to take a stance on this topic?

-Do you want to enlighten your reader by discussing and addressing current issues on this topic with a view to the future?

• Depending on how you answer the above will make some difference as to how you write your paper. It will still be a research paper but it will either be one that attempts to answer a question or takes a stand on a question or discusses a statement.
• Please visit the following site to help you understand the difference between a thesis statement and a question. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/point.html

STEP THREE: Clarify the issue that you will research by defining terms.

• For example, if you do a paper on end-of-life management issues, what do you mean by end-of-life? Are you talking about the care of the aged in nursing care or are you going to address those individuals in a persistent vegetative state? You must define for your reader.

STEP THREE Conduct a search on your topic.

• Try to find out what other people have said about his issue. Also try to find any factual information that might be relevant to your topic. For example, if you write a paper on end-of-life, you may want to find out how much it may cost to maintain someone who has been in a persistent vegetative state for a year, etc. If you are presenting an argument to either terminate treatment or continue treatment, this type of factual information can be important. Remember that when you talk about ethics and policies, there is rarely one correct answer. You must be ready to present your ethical position and defend it using research.
• Your paper will have to incorporate at least seven-ten credible sources. You can use the Web, books, journal articles, newspapers, or magazines. Keep in mind that you want good sources for your research, so pick sources that you believe meet the requirements for good sources which include credibility and timeliness of information. For example, a 20-year-old article may not be credible any longer due to age.
• Finally, why did you choose to use the sources that you selected for your paper? That is, explain why you believed the sources you picked to be particular relevant, accurate, objective. You will need to turn in this narrative with your final draft.

STEP FOUR: Write Your Paper

• No less than 5 and no more than 8 pages that includes a cover page and a reference page (see linked example).
• Your paper should 1) attempt to answer your research question or 2) broaden your reader's understanding of your thesis statement.
• If you have asked a question that requires you to take a stand on your topic, you must defend your stance with timely and credible resources.
• Papers should be written with a current word processing program such as Word, Works or a recent Mac word processing program. Your paper should attempt to follow APA format see linked example. In your paper, be sure that you do all of the following:
  Your paper will need to include a reference section that cites all of the sources you used to write the paper. Your paper also needs a cover page with your name, date, instructor and course. Again, please see APA format guides for help with this.

ORIGINAL WRITING:

• Your paper must be original writing. Papers found to be plagiarized will receive no points. The instructor appreciates reading your original thoughts on a topic. If you are confused about how to cite references, contact your instructor and also follow the link below on how to cite using APA format. A solid attempt to cite references, even if they are not absolutely perfect, goes a long way with your instructor.