PAPER ON ETHICAL ISSUES IN NATIONAL HEALTH OBJECTIVES

Overview of Paper

This paper will give you experience critically analyzing the historical and ethical public health issues related to a condition for which there is a national health objective.

The 18-20 page research paper will address the historical evolution, social, cultural, political and ethical implications and issues surrounding a health condition that is addressed by an objective in one of the fourteen focus areas in Healthy People 2020. I will review proposals for appropriateness, feasibility and completeness (described below).

Your proposal and paper will be double-spaced, paginated, with 12-point fonts and 1 inch margins. The proposal and paper will include the relevant sections of Healthy People 2020. The appendices will include up to 2-3 other documents or transcripts if appropriate. All citations must be cited in the text and in the references section in APA style.

Selecting Your Topic

You may select any national health objective of interest for which there is baseline data (including sub-objectives if appropriate). Before selecting an objective, you will want to give some thought to possible social and bioethical issues. The readings in the first few weeks of the course will help you select appropriately.

Required Sections of Paper

1. Describe the health objective and discuss why it is important, and what improvements are desired.

2. Present the history of the disease or condition the objective seeks to address. You will want to consider the historical and current distribution of the disease/condition in terms of incidence, prevalence, mortality, and the demographics of who gets it and at what ages. You may want to analyze the range of severity and/or the "natural history" or the condition - besure to discuss how these patterns have changed over time.

3. Address what specific research findings contribute to our understanding of how to achieve the health objective. Consider how it will be measured, or if there are known barriers to measuring (this is where a look back at 2010 may be helpful).

4. How realistic is the objective in relation to likelihood of improvement over baseline? If the health issue was included in 2010 objectives, was it met? Again, this will help you consider if it is feasible to be met by 2020.

5. What are the social, cultural and political implications of the health issue, or the solution to the health issue?

6. What are the ethical issues related to the underlying condition and/or the objective? (Be sure to use ethical theories and concepts developed in the course.)

7. What conflicts or controversies do you foresee? Consider how addressing one ethical issue may conflict with another, for example.