ESL Lesson discussing ethical dilemmas in medicine

1. Business Ethics
Case Study: Stitch Wear has a problem

2. Can you understand the joke?
What do you think the term
‘moral flexibility’ means?
Is there a place for it in medicine?
Medical

3. DISCUSSION
Are some jobs more ethical than others? How ethical do you think these
professions are?
accountant civil servant lawyer police officer banker
estate agent nurse teacher car sales executive journalist
dentist taxi driver

4. DISCUSSION
Discuss this list of unethical activities. In your opinion, which are the worst? Are any
common in your country?
1. Avoiding paying tax
2. Using your influence to get jobs for
relatives (nepotism)
3. Claiming extra expenses
4. Using work facilities for private
purposes
5. Ringing in sick when you are not ill
(for example, personal phone calls)
6. Taking extended lunch breaks
7. Accepting praise for someone else's
ideas
8. Giving good references to people you
want to or work get rid of
9. Selling a defective product (for
example, a second-hand car)
10. Employing people without the correct
paperwork

5. VOCABULARY
The sets of words and phrases below are related either to honesty or to dishonesty.
Which word is different from the others in each set? Use a good dictionary to help you.
1 trustworthy law-abiding corrupt
2 a slush fund a sweetener compensation
3 insider trading industrial espionage disclosure
4 a whistleblower a fraudster a con artist
5 a bribe a bonus a commission
6 fraud secrecy integrity
7 a confidentiality a cover up a whitewash
agreement

6. VOCABULARY
The sets of words and phrases below are related either to honesty or to dishonesty.
Which word is different from the others in each set? Use a good dictionary to help you.
1 trustworthy law-abiding corrupt
2 a slush fund a sweetener compensation
3 insider trading industrial espionage disclosure
4 a whistleblower a fraudster a con artist
5 a bribe a bonus a commission
6 fraud secrecy integrity
7 a confidentiality a cover up a whitewash
agreement

7. VOCABULARY
Complete these sentences with words and phrases we looked at. Choose from the word on the list.
1 Our organization does nothing illegal. We are very ………………
2 We've got ……………… which is used in countries where it is difficult to do business without
offering bribes.
3 Their machine looked so much like our new model. We suspect ………………
4 They fired him because he was ……………… he informed the press that the company was
using under-age workers in the factory.
5 He denied accepting ……………… when he gave the contract to the most expensive supplier.
6 I admire our chairman. He's a man of his word and is greatly respected for his ………………
7 Many companies ask new employees to sign ……………… to avoid future litigation problems.
1 trustworthy law-abiding corrupt
2 a slush fund a sweetener compensation
3 insider trading industrial espionage disclosure
4 a whistleblower a fraudster a con artist
5 a bribe a bonus a commission
6 fraud secrecy integrity
7 a confidentiality agreement a cover up a whitewash

8. PERFORMANCE
Work in groups. What should you do in each of these situations?
1 The best-qualified person for the post of Sales Manager is female. However, your
customers would prefer a man. If you appoint a woman you will probably lose some
sales.
2 Your company has a new advertising campaign which stresses its honesty, fairness
and ethical business behavior. It has factories in several countries where wages are very
low. At present it is paying workers the local market rate.
3 A colleague working in a hospital has been making mistakes at work recently. This is
because she has a serious illness. You are her friend and the only person at work who
knows this. She has asked you to keep it a secret.
Discuss these questions.
1 Why is corruption more common in some countries than in others?
2 What are the consequences of corruption in your opinion?

9. ETHICS IN MEDICINE

10. ETHICS IN MEDICINE

11. ETHICS IN MEDICINE

12. ETHICS IN MEDICINE

13. ETHICS IN MEDICINE

14. ETHICS IN MEDICINE

15. ETHICAL PROBLEM SOLVING

16. ETHICAL PROBLEM SOLVING
Case 1
A 47-year-old woman is brought by an ambulance to the hospital because of severe injuries sustained in a
motor vehicle accident. She demonstrates signs of shock including significantly low blood pressure, and
appears to be in need of a blood transfusion to prevent death.
The emergency physician, Dr. White, explains the seriousness of her injuries, the need for immediate
blood resuscitation and the high risks, including possible death if the transfusion is not administered.
In spite of her injuries, she is conscious and appears to comprehend the seriousness of her medical
condition. She refuses the transfusion and clearly explains her religious objections since she is a
Jehovah's Witness. Dr. White faces the ethical decision as to whether save the patient's life and give her
a blood transfusion against her will or honor her religious beliefs and allow her to die.
What should the doctor do?
Vocabulary
Shock a medical condition caused by severe injury, pain, loss of blood or fear that slows down the
flow of blood around the body
Blood Transfusion A process in which blood that has been taken from one person is put into another
person's body, especially after an accident or during an operation
Resuscitation When someone is brought back to life.
Conscious Awake, thinking and knowing what is happening around you.
Jehovah’s Witness A Religious group.

17. ETHICAL PROBLEM SOLVING
Case 2
The parents of Charlotte Wyatt, who is seriously ill after being born prematurely 11 months ago, want
doctors to keep treating her.
But having already resuscitated Charlotte three times after she stopped breathing, staff at the
Portsmouth hospital where she is being cared for say she should be allowed to die if her breathing
stops again.
The case is now being decided in the High Court. Doctors can refuse to treat a patient if they feel it is
in the person's best interests.
Dr Michael Wilks, of the British Medical Association's ethics committee, told BBC Five Live the
decision will be taken if the treatment serves no purpose or if the quality of life is deemed to be so low
that it is not beneficial.
If you were the doctor, what would you do?
Vocabulary
Prematurely Happening or done too soon, especially before the natural or suitable time.
Resuscitate When someone is brought back to life
Deemed To consider or judge something in a particular way.
Beneficial Helpful, useful or good.

18. ETHICAL PROBLEM SOLVING
DISCUSSION
1. Should nurses (and families, patients themselves) be able to question
doctors’ orders?
2. Should patient records always be kept confidential?
What about if a child is involved?
3. Who should people blame when medical care/recovery
go wrong?
4. What would you do if you had a new drug that you
knew was important and safe but could not get
permission from the Government’s Food and Drug
Administration to test it on humans?

19. A RIGHT TO DIE?
1. What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘euthanasia’?
2. What is the legal status of euthanasia in your country?
3. Do you agree with euthanasia?
4. Do you understand why people choose euthanasia to end their life?
5. What do you understand by the terms ‘mercy killing’ and ‘assisted suicide’?
6. Don’t you think doctors have a duty to keep people alive?
7. Does a family member or a doctor have the right to turn off a life support
machine?
8. Do governments have the right to keep suffering people alive?
9. Why not allow euthanasia to save on health care costs?
10. Do people have a right to die?
EUTHANASIA DISCUSSION

20. A RIGHT TO DIE?

21. A RIGHT TO DIE?

22. A RIGHT TO DIE?

23. A RIGHT TO DIE?

24. A RIGHT TO DIE?

25. A RIGHT TO DIE?

26. VOCABULARY

27. VOCABULARY