Outline

Overview

This unit of study introduces students to ethics and law in relation to the Australian health system. The unit takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring fundamental ethical principles in relation to health and health services. It also provides a basic introduction to legal aspects of health and healthcare. Topics of focus include mental health, health complaints, reproductive technologies, the start and end of life, disability, public health and genetic technology. Students will develop their own ethical thinking and an understanding of professionally acceptable behaviours appropriate to practice in a wide range of disciplines and health professions, including policy and administration. Learning is interactive and scenarios are used as discussion points to develop ethical thinking. Students will develop a media portfolio and a written or multimedia research project based on an ethical and legal issue of their choosing.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	HSBH3004
Academic unit	Health Sciences
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	48 credit points of units
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jen Smith-Merry, jennifer.smith-merry@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Jen Smith-Merry, jennifer.smith-merry@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Gemma Smart, gemma.smart@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final assessment Time-limited assignment	35%	STUVAC	Up to 1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Preliminary assessment Time-limited assignment	15%	Week 06	up to 1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research project Project completed by Individuals or Pairs. Written or multi-media/written	40%	Week 11 Due date: 23 May 2021 at 23:59	2000 words solo 3000 pair 750 multimedia
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Weekly tutorial quiz and participation Weekly online tutorial quiz and participation	10%	Weekly	Weekly, weeks 2-13
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Online weekly task completion and tutorial participation (10% – 1% for each week completed. Weekly from week 2): Students will need to complete an online weekly task via the Canvas site before they attend their tutorial and then participate actively in their tutorial to receive 1% in their tutorial, up to a maximum of 10%. Students must complete the weekly tutorial task and actively participate in at least 6 tutorials to pass the unit.

Preliminary assessment (15% Week 6): This is a time-limited assignment to test the developing knowledge of students early in the semester. Students will be provided with a stimulus (e.g. media article, case study) and identify their own materials to answer a set of questions which tests their knowledge of the unit content until week 6. Students have 24 hours to complete the assignment.

Research project (40%, due week 11): Students will work in pairs or by themselves to complete a research project investigating a topic of choice in which they discuss the ethical and legal aspects of the topic. Students may also choose to complete a multi media task. Length: 3000 words per pair of students (approx 1500 each), 2000 words for a solo assignment and 750 words plus a 5 minute video for a multi-media task. Further information will be provided on the Canvas site in due course.

Final assessment (35%, due Week 14): This time-limited assignment will follow the same format as the preliminary assessment in Week 6.

Further information on all assessment will be provided on the Canvas site after the start of semester.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Students must complete the weekly tutorial task prior to the tutorial and actively participate in at least 6 tutorials to pass the unit. Standard late penalties apply to all other assessment.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction; Law in Australia – the Basics; Consent, competency and autonomy;	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Theoretical Approaches to Ethics in Health Care; Professionalism and ‘consumers’	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Part 1: Ethics for the start and end of life	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Part 2: Ethics for the start and end of life; Reproductive rights and surrogacy	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	No lecture this week. Time limited assignment due this week. Consultation with unit staff available for all students.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Who is normal? Care and treatment in mental health: ethics and law. Tort of Assault; Tort of False Imprisonment; Tort of Negligence	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Ethical workplaces; Tensions at Work: Whistleblowing; Complaints Regarding Health Care and Treatment	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Privacy versus public health; The ethics of activism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Disability ethics; Vulnerable groups	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Ethical dilemmas in genetic testing and screening; The ethics of responses to Covid-19	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Health care: resource allocation and rationing; Ethical and legal issues in public health: the individual versus the state	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	The ethics of care of the self; Wrap up, student unit evaluation and exam preparation	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lectures:

Two-hour lectures run every week run via zoom. Some are also run live depending on the lecturer providing them, but all will be available by zoom so you are under no obligation to attend in person. We will let you know on the weekly Canvas modules which will be delivered in person for those who wish to attend. Lectures engage students in specific topics, present key concepts and examples, and discuss how each topic fits into the overall unit of study. Administrative announcements are made in lectures and via the HSBH3004 Canvas site. Lectures also involve group discussion and debate around specific ethical and legal cases. You are strongly advised to actively participate in lectures in order to do well in this unit. Consistently those students who attend and participate in lectures do much better in this unit.

A week-by-week description of the lecture topics, additional resources and readings is available on the HSBH3004 Canvas site.

As far as possible, PowerPoint slides presented at lectures will be available on the Canvas site for this unit of study at least the day before lectures take place.

Tutorials:

Students must complete the weekly tutorial task prior to the tutorial and actively participate in at least 6 tutorials to pass the unit. This requirement is in place because ethics is a negotiated concept and discussion with peers is therefore essential to acheiveing the learning outcomes of the unit.

Tutorials are conducted either in person or live via zoom by your tutor who has high level expertise in health ethics. You should attend the in person or zoom tutorial you have been allocated in your timetable.

It is important that you complete the readings and the tutorial preparation before coming to each class. You must complete a weekly online exercise via the Canvas site before you attend your tutorial. These will form the basis of learning in the tutorials and you must complete this and actively participate in the tutorial in order to receive the 1% mark per tutorial.

Tutorials are a very important part of your learning experience. Your active preparation and participation in tutorials is essential for the successful completion of this unit. Tutorials are the time for you to discuss, ask questions and broaden your understanding about the latest lecture content, and to develop the knowledge and skills required to achieve the intended learning outcomes and complete the assessment tasks for this unit. The teaching and learning processes in this unit emphasise learning in groups, as well as individually.

Students are expected to attend one tutorial class each week. 1-hour tutorials commence in Week 2 and continue up to and including Week 13. There are no tutorials in Week 5 (Good Friday). Your tutor will provide guidance and support for your assessment and clarify key material presented in lectures. A separate tutorial guide which details the content of each tutorial is available on the Unit of Study website.

Students will receive 1% per tutorial they participate in and complete the pre-tutorial online activity/quiz for up to a maximum of 10%. The online activity/quiz must be completed before the tutorial starts to get the 1% for the tutorial.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library. Additional readings are available on Canvas – see modules for each week - or in the Unit Outline.

The main textbook is:

Kerridge, I., Lowe, M., & Steward, C. (2013). Ethics and law for the health professions. Australia, The Federation Press.

If you cannot access the 2013 version, you may also use the 2009 edition of this text, as it contains the most important parts of the 2013 edition, although the page numbers and chapter numbers will be different. The book is not available as an ebook, but several chapters have been made into ecopies and are available on the University Library website.

While it is helpful to have your own copy you do not have to purchase the textbook as multiple copies of both editions of this book are also available in the library including several in the reserve section at Fisher library.

Other readings are provided weekly via Canvas.

Additional readings for this unit are included on the Canvas site where there are separate sections for each week. These sections provide more details of the content of each of the lectures, core and additional readings along with the additional resources which should be accessed.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the sources of Australian law
LO2. understand the part ethical decisions play in health care
LO3. identify what constitutes an ethical or legal issue in the context of health care provision, planning, clinical application and research
LO4. understand the key concepts in law and ethics identified in the lectures and apply these to case studies
LO5. effectively engage in informed discussion (both written and oral) on ethical issues arising in the health care context
LO6. identify legal requirements applicable to health care work and research
LO7. produce written and oral work which reflects on the unit content through individual research and group discussion.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The assessment has been changed because of student feedback.

Additional information

Health Sciences Student Information Manual

Work, health and safety

There are no specific WHS requirements for this unit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

HSBH3004: Health, Ethics and the Law

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect