Globally, universities make use of peer physical examination in health professions students’ teaching of physical examination skills. PPE has many educational benefits, such as teaching normal anatomy and function, development of compassion and empathy, to feel what it is like to be examined from a patient’s perspective, improvement of communication skills, correcting errors in technique and improve confidence. The benefits for patients include protection from repeated examinations by unskilled students. The aim of the study was to investigate health sciences students’ (...) perceptions of the ethical aspects of PPE. A qualitative investigation, which included two focus group interviews with students and one with lecturers, was used for data collection. Most students and lecturers regarded PPE as beneficial, as it provides a safe environment for students in the health sciences to improve their clinical competence and confidence, without fear of embarrassment or failure. Students stated that PPE promoted the development of empathy with and respect for their patients. It was suggested that in a culturally diverse society, guidelines specifically related to religious customs and convictions should be provided to give students an indication of appropriate and acceptable behaviour towards fellow students when practising PPE. The use of PPE in the training of students in the health professions should support the ethical principles of Beauchamp and Childress, namely beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice/fairness. (shrink)

CITATION: Hattingh, L. 2015. Moral challenges in managed care. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, 8:17-20, doi:10.7196/SAJBL.431.

The original publication is available at www.tandfonline.com.

There is a constructive method to define a structure of simple k-cyclic Post algebra of order p, L p,κ, on a given finite field F, and conversely. There exists an interpretation Ф₁ of the variety V generated by L p,κ into the variety V) generated by F and an interpretation Ф₂ of V) into V such that Ф₂Ф₁ = B for every B ϵ V and Ф₁₂ = R for every R ϵ V). In this paper we show how we (...) can solve an algebraic system of equations over an arbitrary cyclic Post algebra of order p, p prime, using the above interpretation, Gröbner bases and algorithms programmed in Maple. (shrink)

The nature, methodology, importance and implications of an ethical analysis of value issues pertaining to public decision-making is not evident. In this paper I would like to address these issues by posing the following questions: - Why is it important to focus on values in any process of public decision-making? - What is the nature of an ethical analysis of the value issues involved? - What is the basis, if any, for ethical analysis that moves beyond relativism and subjectivity? - (...) What difference can such an ethical analysis make to public decision-making? During the course of discussing these issues, the question “What is ethics?” will be addressed in passing, as well as the usual objections against ethics and the consideration of value issues in public decision-making, namely that - values cannot be analysed and discussed objectively - values and ethics are relative to people and cultures - value and ethical questions cannot be settled in a rational manner - ethics cannot provide answers - arguments about value and ethical issues move in circles, taking us nowhere - values and ethics are so intertwined with emotions and biases that one cannot take them seriously in any process of public decision-making. S. Afr. J. Philos. Vol.23(3) 2004: 213-225. (shrink)