Case Analysis and Ethical Decision-Making

This applied topic synthesizes knowledge from all bioethics areas by focusing on a structured methodology for analyzing complex ethical cases, a core skill for Zambian tertiary students across health disciplines. Students will learn to systematically dissect a case by identifying stakeholders, clarifying facts, pinpointing the central ethical dilemma, and applying relevant ethical principles, theories, rules, and professional codes. The process includes considering alternative courses of action, evaluating them against ethical criteria, and formulating a justified recommendation. Practice cases may involve dilemmas from clinical care, public health policy, or research (e.g., the conjoined twins case, allocation of scarce antimalarials, a study with controversial incentives). For Zambian learners, mastering this structured approach is essential for success in university examinations, for resolving real-world ethical challenges in their future professions, and for contributing thoughtfully to multidisciplinary ethics committees in Zambian healthcare and research institutions.