Teaching Ethics in Organ Transplantation: Cases and Movies

Table of movies

Movies as teaching material 69 Table of movies John Q Directed by Background information on the web Nick Cassavetes Movie, USA 2002, 01:52 h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ John_Q. General topics Organ donation Heart transplantation Health care system in USA Waiting list Role of family decision making Attempted extortion Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues raised in the movie such as: • Injustice between classes and ethnicities • Mean-end relationship • Decision-making in the family • Justice in organ allocation • Communication between physicians and family Identify and discuss the use of language and pictures in the movie: • How is organ transplantation pictured? • How are aims and methods of modern medicine represented? Heartless Directed by Background information on the web Nick Laughland Movie, GBR-Scotland 2005 01:32 h http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429288/ General topics Heart attack Heart transplantation Identity problems Movies as Teaching Material 70 Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues raised in the movie such as: • Concept of the body • Concept of personal identity • Emotional aspects of organ transplantation • Cultural meaning of the heart • Cultural meaning of other organs COMA Directed by Background information on the web Michael Crichton Thriller, USA 1978, 01:48 h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coma_(film) General topics Brain death Illegal organ trade Body concept Health care system Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues raised in the movie such as: • Definition of death • Trust in the medical system • Diagnosis of death • Whistle blowing • Ethical treatment of dead bodies Identify and discuss the historical aspects of the movie and recent changes: • Acceptance of organ transplantation • Brain death • Organ trade • Public image of doctors Movies as teaching material 71 21 Grams Directed by Background information on the web Alejandro González Iñárritu Movie, USA 2003, 2:05 h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Grams General topics Death Organ donation Post-mortem donation Psychological problems Guilt Reciprocity Donor-recipient relation Donor’s family Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues in the movie such as: • Emotional and psychological problems of recipients • Anonymity of donors • Imagination of donor’s identity • Circumstances of donor’s death Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Directed by Background information on the web Kenneth Branagh Movie USA 1994, 02:03 h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mary_Shelley%27s_Frankenstein General topics Dying Artificial life Scientist’s responsibility Body snatching Medical experiment Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues raised in the movie such as: • Short-term and long-term responsibility of doctors and scientists • Endeavors to create artificial life Movies as Teaching Material 72 • Limits to scientific curiosity Identify and discuss the use of language and pictures in the movie: • What is the role of the “monster”? • How does the image of the monster differ between various versions of “Frankenstein”? • How is science in the 19th century depicted differently from science in the 21st century? • Public image of and expectations towards researchers Todo sobre mi madre / All about my mother Directed by Background information on the web Pedro Almodóvar Movie, ESP 1999, 01:37 h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_About_My_Moth er http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185125/ General topics Death Organ donation Role of family decision making Medical education Informing relatives Transsexuality Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues in the movies such as: • Informing family about brain death of a relative • Asking family to consent in organ donation • Role of identity (recipient) • Role of identity (transsexual father) • Problems of proxy decisions Identify and discuss the use of language and images in the movie: • How is the clinical system presented? • How is the competence of physicians represented? • How is doctor-patient communication represented? Movies as teaching material 73 The Island Directed by Background information on the web Michael Bay Movie, USA 2005, 02:16 h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_ (2005_film) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399201/ General topics Science fiction Cloning Organ donation Instrumentalization Organ shortage Ethical questions to trigger seminar discussion Identify and discuss the main ethical issues in the movies such as: • Cloning and individuality • Genetic determinism vs. social determinism • Organ shortage • Freedom and autonomy • Public fears of cloning • Relationship between original and...