Welcome to PHI213

Welcome to the GateWay Community College Bioethics blog. The purpose of this blog is to share information about recent scientific advancements and their impact on medical and bioethics, and to debate classic and current ethical dilemmas. Enjoy!

Organ Allocation (PP15)

Policies that guide the distribution or allocation of organs have always been controversial. Please read the articles below and discuss how organs should be allocated and why?

Ethics of Organ Transplants (About.com summary)
The Waiting Game (PBS)
Distributing Donor Organs (PBS)
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
About Organ Allocation (Transplant Living)
Organ Allocation Issues (Miracosta College)
Controversies in Organ Donation (Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation Journal)
Infant Heart Transplant Controversy (US News)
Human Organs for Sale (New Internationalist)
Do US Hospitals Push Organ Black Market (CBS News)
So What About Mickey Mantle (Wordpress Donate Life Blog)
Natalie Cole Kidney came From Deceased Fan (CNN)
Jobs Travel to Transplant Mecca Shows System Flaws (Bloomberg)
Britain to Outlaw Most Private Organ Donations (Yahoo! News)

Medical Regulation (PP14)

Read the background articles (below) on controversial Mississippi Medical Examiner, Steven Hayne. Should the government do more to regulate the credentials and behavior of health practitioners working with the dead? Why or why not? What are the underlying philosophical issues in this particular situation. Defend your position.

Articles:
From Reason Online -
One
Two
Three
From Slate -
One

Healthcare - Right or Privilege (PP13)

Is health care a right of all Americans? Why or why not? Should coverage be universal? How should coverage be paid? What universal principles should be applied in determining costs and coverages? Defend your position.