Decision Making in Medicine
Keywords |
Classification |
Keyword |
OFICIAL |
Medicine |
Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S
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
- Human nature – fundamental concepts
- The role of emotions in decision making
- Limits to individual decisions
- The rational dimension of decision making
- Evidence based medicine
- Main condition to medical practice:
Self-knowledge
Excellent training
Experience
Humility
Intervision
- Medical practice dimensions
- 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