Decision Making in Medicine

Code:

OPT180

Acronym:

TOMED

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2021/2022 - 1S (of 13-09-2021 to 13-02-2022)

Active?	No
Responsible unit:	Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	0	Plano Oficial 2021	5	-	2	19	54

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1 – Recognize  the main criteria’s for decision making

2 – Recognize the decision making natural handicaps in professional work

3 – Recognize the importance of making decisions based in the patient best interest and not in the professional personal perspective

4 – Recognize the importance of evidence based decision making

5 – Understand the decision making particular differences after different clinical settings

6 – Recognize the main dimensions of medical practice

7 – Understand the limits of autonomous choices

8 – Become a more autonomous professional

Learning outcomes and competences

Decision-making is more and more studied because there is a set of variables involved in it that people can’t understand clearly. It is then more and more important the doctor to be aware of it in a way to better lead their patients reaching their best interest. Clinical decisions are more and more subjective because consequences of medical decisions are more complex and people are more diverse. Respect autonomy is then more important but tend to be misunderstood. It is very important to recognize the main dimensions involved in decision making, as the limits, which is corresponding with the first four dots of syllabus.

It is also mandatory to recognize the dimensions associated to the decisions that can lead the patient to his/her best interest. The idea is to avoid involuntary errors and to increase patient satisfaction, which is corresponded to dots 5, 6, and 7.

Medical practice has several fields of action. It is then important to understand specific differences about it and their influence in decision making, which refers to syllabus dot 8.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Human nature – fundamental concepts


2. The role of emotions in decision making


3. Limits to individual decisions


4. The rational dimension of decision making


5. Evidence based medicine


6. Main condition to medical practice:
   Self-knowledge
   Excellent training
   Experience
   Humility
   Intervision

1. Medical practice dimensions


2. Specific contexts: 
   Genetic counselling
   End of life decisions
   Abortion
   Treatment refusal
   Informed consent process

Mandatory literature

Ricou, M. ; A ética e a deontologia no exercício da psicologia, Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, 2014
Haidt, J. ; The Emotional Dog and Its Rational Tail: A Social Intuitionist Approach to Moral Judgment. Psychological Review, Vol. 108, n.º 4, pp. 814-834, Psychological Review, Vol. 108, n.º 4, pp. 814-834, 2001
Ricou, M. Sá, E. & Nunes, R. ; The Ethical Principles of the Portuguese Psychologists: A Universal Dimension., Journal of medicine & Phylosophy 42(2)pp.199-213, 2017. ISBN: doi:10.1093/jmp/jhw066
Ricou, Miguel & Marina, Sílvia; Decision making and ethical reasoning in psychology, Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 2020. ISBN: 20746857

Complementary Bibliography

Damásio, A.; O Livro da Consciência. A construção do cérebro consciente, Temas e Debates. Círculo de Leitores, 2010
Goleman, D.; Inteligência emocional, Temas e Debates. Círculo de Leitores, 1997
Straus, S.E., Glasziou, P., Richardson, W.S., & Haynes, R.B; Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach It, Churchill Livingstone, 2010

Teaching methods and learning activities

14 hours of contact. The following pedagogic modalities are at stake: a) Seminars: Prepared and guided discussion of specific themes, defined in advance, with the participation of professors and students; b) Presentation of Case-Problems by the students. An assessment of the whole pedagogical process and of the evolution of each student's capacities is at stake: Evolution in the communication skills, evolution of the human relation, of the regular attendance in the block, of the interest and participation in the pedagogic process, and, finally, of the theoretical and practical knowledge. In small groups, of interactive nature, the student will elaborate a monograph as a final report, on a selected case. The Final Assessment of the curricular unit is made by a presentation done in the class (50%) and a final test (50%).

keywords

Health sciences > Ethics in health sciences
Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Cognitive science
Health sciences > Medical sciences > Medicine

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	50,00
Exame	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	15,00
Estudo autónomo	20,00
Frequência das aulas	19,00
Total:	54,00

Eligibility for exams

The frequency will be obtained according to the pedagogical regulation

Calculation formula of final grade

50% exam
50% Class presentation

Observations