What ought to be done regarding health care ethics education in Japan?

Abstract

"Various ethical problems have been concerning medical professionals and general public in Japan. Many of them remain controversial and people sharply disagree about what act is ethically justifiable. For instance, intense arguments has never ceased with regard to definition of death, euthanasia, and truth telling. The significance of ethical discussion about various issues in clinical settings has gradually been recognized in medical societies as well as society as a whole, and medical professionals, especially physicians, are expected to be capable to make sound judgments about difficult ethical dilemmas encountered in the clinical setting. Under these circumstances, what kind of ethics education should be done for medical students and physicians under clinical training? Consensus has not been reached, however, regarding teaching formats in which health care ethics (HCE) is taught, including what, when, how, to whom, and by whom it ought to be educated. In this article, We would like to consider a desirable form of HCE education for undergraduate medical students."