Ethics and Professionalism in Healthcare: Transition and Challenges

Recent social developments, such as demographic change, skill shortages and new medical technologies, have necessitated a transition in the traditional roles of health-care professions. New forms of division of labour and inter-professional health-care education are emerging while at the same time ethical challenges, such as corruption and conflicts of interest, have to be mastered. This book addresses historical, conceptual and empirical aspects of professionalism and inter-professionalism in health care from an international and interdisciplinary perspective. The work is divided into five sections: historical and societal aspects of health care professions; learning and teaching medical professionalism; transformation of health care professions; professional leadership and team decision-making in health care; and ethical challenges to health care professionalism. The final chapter integrates the main ideas and perspectives on health-care professionalism which have been developed throughout the book and highlights how the work in the diverse disciplines is interrelated. The book will be a valuable reference for the many researchers and students with an interest in medical ethics, professionalism and comparative systems of healthcare.

Sabine Salloch is a Researcher in Medical Ethics at the Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. Her research interests include end-of-life decision-making, medical professionalism and bioethical methodology.

Verena Sandow is a Researcher in Medical Ethics and Applied Ethics at the Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. She works in the field of human medical research and research ethics.

Jan Schildmann is a Medical Ethicist and Physician. He is Researcher at the Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. His research covers topics in clinical ethics (i.e. end-of-life decisions, ethics support services), research ethics (i.e. personalised medicine, conflict of interest) and methodological aspects of empirical medical ethics.

Jochen Vollmann is Professor and Director at the Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine and Chair of the Centre for Medical Ethics, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. Professor Vollmann’s research interests include informed consent and capacity assessment, mental health ethics, end-of-life decision making, advance directives, personalised medicine, medical professionalism, clinical ethics committees and clinical ethics consultation.