BTHX 5110/BTHX 8110 | Ethical Issues in Pediatrics
Sept. 5 - Dec. 21
Using real pediatric cases, we will examine some of the most pressing ethical issues faced by clinical teams, patients and families, and ethics consultants. Topics include decision-making for children at the end-of-life, care of extremely premature infants, conceptions of disability, adolescents’ independence from their guardians in decision-making and confidentiality protections, research conducted with children, Child Protective Services in the lives of children & families, and prioritizing children for scarce resources in public health emergencies. Through robust classroom discussions, we will consider these complex issues from a diversity of perspectives. This course is intended for professional and academic disciplines working with children, such as medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, law, public health, and education, as well as child development, anthropology, and philosophy.
About the Instructor
Jennifer Needle, MD, MPH, Associate Professor
Expertise: Advance Care Planning | Pediatrics | Palliative Care Clinical Ethics
Dr. Jennifer Needle’s clinical work is within the Pediatric ICU at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. As the sole member of the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics with an appointment in the Center for Bioethics, she serves as a resource to students, residents, and faculty who face ethical challenges in the clinical care of pediatric patients. She has developed a local, regional, and national reputation as a leading early investigator in the field of pediatric palliative care and advance care planning. Her work has been published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, including JAMA Network Open, Pediatrics, and Palliative Care.