About This Book

“The new edition of the Healthcare Ethics book allows me to do less lecturing in science and public policy. The students told me at midterm that I should keep the book. They like how accessibly it is written, enjoy how the case studies make them think, and are learning without ‘feeling stupid.’”

““[This] introduction to health care ethics provides a solid basic text in the field and is particularly helpful in integrating a religious perspective into bioethics in a way that invites deeper dialogue. It is very readable, but does not sacrifice intellectual depth in being accessible.””

““I found this book to be excellent for my bioethics course. Among the features I appreciate is the authors’’ robust introduction to the purpose and methods of ethics (the first four chapters) while keeping the material connected to medical ethics. The exercises in these chapters are effective for helping students appropriate the ideas. The authors write very accessibly. The presentation is grounded in Catholic moral thought and puts the best of the Catholic tradition forward while also airing criticisms subtly and constructively. The case studies are effective and the several charts and graphics work well.”

“This is the only bioethics book I’ve seen that is both suitable for undergraduates and that employs basic ethical terms (teleology, deontology, etc.) that mesh well with the understandings I use in lectures. There are LOTS of case studies and scenarios, offered in language that challenges undergraduates but not excessively. The cases are realistic, current, and well-described; students often can recognize similar medical situations from their lives or from the news. The book proceeds at an excellent pace for a course that covers medical ethics and moral theology. My students appreciate its language, tone, and detail. I will continue to use it!”

“Michael Panicola and his colleagues have given students a good foundation for ethical choices in health care. The book deepens and broadens the concept of ethics beyond laws and regulations. It presents a thoughtful and accessible explanation of major approaches to ethical thinking. And, before treating specific issues and methods, it provides the depth of discernment to the decision-making process.”

“I used the first edition of An Introduction to Health Care Ethics with undergraduates multiple times, and students loved the book. The second edition is updated with valuable new information and remains just as clear, careful, and compassionate. The focus on human dignity, human flourishing, and justice provides a normative basis. Principles and criteria for various issues help students to develop their own capacity for moral discernment. Each chapter stimulates discussion with intriguing cases. The book invites critical thinking by offering consideration of various perspectives. The new chapter on health care reform opens up important macro-issues, competing understandings of justice, and the need for reform. This excellent text is recommended for anyone who realizes that sooner or later they will need to be engaged in the serious and loving work of health care decision making.”