This document provides information about the role of a bioethicist in Canada. It discusses the objectives of bioethics, including defining the field and the role. It outlines common responsibilities of bioethicists such as developing ethics programs, providing consultations and policy development. It also discusses the importance of bioethics in healthcare settings and provides examples of ethical issues bioethicists may encounter. The document emphasizes the need for advanced education in bioethics such as a graduate degree to work as a bioethicist.

1. Internationally-trained
Professionals’ Workshop
Practicing as a Bioethicist in
Canada.
August 28, 2012
Moji Adurogbangba; BDS, MPH, MA.
Bioethicist.
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2. Objectives
• The role of Bioethicist as it is generally
experienced in Canada
• Common areas of responsibilities
• Education and specific training requirements
• Q&A
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3. What is Bioethics?
Ethics: that branch of philosophy dealing with:
-values relating to human conduct
-rightness and wrongness of certain actions
-goodness and badness of the motives and ends
of such actions
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4. What is Bioethics?
Field of study concerned with the ethics and philosophical
implications of:
certain biological and medical procedures, technologies,
treatments, as organ transplants, genetic engineering,
and care of the terminally ill.
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5. What is Bioethics?
Application of ethics to medicine and healthcare
Professionalism Academia
utilizing practical and literary skills engage in higher education and
research
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6. Role as experienced
Health Care Organization (health care ethics)
Professionalism Academia
Bioethicist, Clinical ethicist, Ethicist Research ethicist
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7. ……….as a profession
Common areas of responsibilities:
•Develop and management of ethics program infrastructure
•Organizational ethics leadership
•Identification of ethical issues
•Ethics consultation
•Policy development
•Education
•Professional development
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8. Example issues
• Is withdrawal appropriate?
• What constitutes best interests?
• How do we accommodate religious values?
• Substitute Decision Making
• Interpretation of Advanced Directives
• Capacity
• Moral Distress
• Privacy/Confidentiality
• The “non-compliant” patient
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9. How relevant is health care ethics?
• Accreditation Canada
• Tri-Council Policy Statement
• CIHR
• Professional colleges
• Cultural diversity
• Increasing technology
• A more knowledgeable public
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10. A more knowledgeable
public
Winnipeg Free Press: Judge upholds life support.
By: Kevin Rollason Updated: February 13, 2008
Doctors wanting to pull life support from an 84-year-
old Winnipeg man (Golubchuck Samuel) have not
only been ordered not to, but to do everything
necessary to keep him alive.
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11. A more knowledgeable public
The medical dispute is being followed by people
from around the world with even an on-line petition on
the Internet garnering more than 2,800 signatures of
support just days after being set up. And when you
google ‘Golubchuk’ and ‘petition’, 421 websites pop
up.
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12. Academia
• Lecturer: College & University
• Researcher
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13. Qualification
• Graduate degree in bioethics
– Doctorate, or a Master’s degree
– Clinical background for health care ethics
Or
• Equivalent combination of education and/or
experience
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