OFFICE HOURS:

Decision-making in health care is increasingly difficult for consumers, families, health care providers, and managers. Moreover, decisions in health care are fraught with value-laden issues that involve both legal and ethical dilemmas. The focus of this class will be on those issues and principles that are likely to confront the health services administrator in analyzing and resolving biomedical, legal, and ethical issues.

The purpose of the course is to understand the major ethical and legal principles a health service administrator will face in the delivery of health services and assist students develop a methodology for decision-making in the health care environment.

Students will be evaluated based on their performance on two examinations, five brief quizzes, two assigned case studies, a Personal Ethics Statement, a term paper, plus a comprehensive final exam. Active participation in class discussion is also expected.

The brief "Spot Quizzes" will be unannounced quizzes or assignments to affirm that the student is actively engaged in the topics and completing the readings. There will be no make-up quizzes given for any reason.

The two case studies are included in the Coursepak and will be explained in class. Students will be asked to prepare a 2-3-page response for each case. Moreover there will be a class discussion following each case.

The Personal Ethics Statement provides an opportunity for the student to articulate their perspective on ethical principles affecting health care administrators. Instructions are included in the Coursepak. The Personal Ethics Statement should be 2-3 pages in length. The first part will be due at the beginning of class on January 26^th. A revised version including a response to a case study will be due at the beginning of class on March 2^nd.

The Term Paper will entail research on a topic selected by the student (and approved by the instructor). Topics must be on a health care or health service administration issue that includes an evaluation of ethical or legal issues as part of the analysis. Appropriate topics include specific ethical implications of health care activities; delineation of key legal cases pertinent to health care; or comparative studies of legal or ethical dilemmas in health care. A topic outline, including selection of a topic and the general framework for addressing the topic, is due at the beginning of class on February 11^th. The names of students participating in a team (see below) are also due at this time. For students desiring preliminary feedback on their papers, a rough draft of the term paper can be submitted by March 23^rd (optional).

The term paper is expected to be of a depth to be reported in ten to fifteen pages (typed, double-spaced). The term paper will conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) style. It will include a Title Page, an Abstract, appropriately divided sub-sections, and at least ten reference sources from professional (peer-reviewed) sources. A brief summary of the APA Style is available in the Coursepak. More detailed versions are available through Carrier Library or the JMU Bookstore. The completed term paper is due at the beginning of class on April 13^th.

The Term Paper is worth 150 points toward the final grade. 100 points will be determined by Content, including objectivity and completeness of the topic research, inclusion of relevant legal and ethical perspectives on the issue, adequate presentation of multiple perspectives (if appropriate), and explanation of how the ethical and legal principles presented in class affect this topic. The balance of the grade (50 points) will be for Technical Writing, including writing style, proper use of citations, grammar and general readability.

Students can choose to work individually or in teams of 2-4 students for the Term Paper. Teams must be selected by the time the topic outline is submitted February 11^th. All members of the team will receive equivalent grades for the Term Paper.

Students may request to give a class presentation of their term paper for bonus points in the course. Students must meet with and have approval of the course instructor by April 8^th for any presentations. A summary outline of the presentation is required for approval. Students MUST meet with the instructor to discuss the presentation prior to final approval of the presentation. Failure to meet with the instructor forfeits the student’s presentation slot. The presentation will count a maximum of 80 points. This represents an additional 10% of the course grade.

Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day assigned. Assignments submitted to the instructor’s office by 4:00 PM on the same day will be accepted without penalty. Assignments submitted up to 24 hours late (by 4:00 PM on the following day) will have 20% deducted from the grade. Papers up to 48 hours late will have 40% deducted from the grade. Papers up to 72 hours late will have 60% deducted from the grade. Papers up to 96 hours (4 days) late will have 80% deducted from the grade. Papers submitted beyond 96 hours (4 days) from the assignment date will be assigned a zero (0).

Please note that students who fail to submit the case study analyses at the beginning of class February 4^th and April 6^th will NOT be allowed to participate in the class discussions of these cases. Attendance and participation in these case study discussions will count toward the class Attendance and Participation points.

Attendance at scheduled classes is particularly important in this class on Values in Health Care because of the emphasis on group discussion during the course. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes during the semester. Roll will be taken randomly throughout the course. Lateness is unacceptable. Arrival after class begins will count as an absence.

Participation in class discussion includes constructive comments on issues, presentation and defense of personal opinions related to health care topics and posture of questions arising from readings and discussion. Regular attendance is NOT a substitution for active participation.

Questions for examinations will be derived from the readings, lectures, audio-visuals, class discussions, and handouts. Regardless of the reason for missing an examination, "make-up exams" will only be administered prior to the final exam during final examination week.

720 - 800 A
640 - 719 B
560 - 639 C
480 - 559 D
< 480 F

By registering for this course, each student is advised that the JMU Honor Code is in effect for all class activities and assignments. Particular care should be taken to understand and comply with the Honor Code in preparation of the term paper. Plagiarism is unacceptable. Use of other students’ work or term papers is prohibited.

HTH 365 Coursepak