Michael E. Wise, United Kingdom

Brent CMHT Psychiatry

Presenter of 2 Presentations

Educational 10:30 - 10:45

Managing Risk without Hindsight Bias: Pitfalls of Regulation and Rules - W015

Abstract

Abstract Body

In the UK the death of an epileptic whilst bathing prompted an outcry over risk assessment. In other cases the degree of observation that risky individuals should be subject to has been the subjet of vague guidelines and consequential litigation. Who carries the moral authority in determining the boundaries between reasonable risk-taking and recklessness? Where does the unpredictable become the punishable? Dr Wise will explore the profound impact these cases have had on UK psychiatric practice, and the lesosns we can draw from them.

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Moderator of 1 Session

Date
04.07.2020, Saturday
Room
Berlin
Session Description
Ethics (from the Greek ‘εθiks: the best way to behave”) is, according to the Oxford dictionary “the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principals”. Moral principles govern a person’s behaviour. Aristotle held “virtues” as the guiding principal, Kant “duty”, whereas utilitarianism stipulates that the “guiding principal” should be “the greatest happiness or benefit of the greatest number”. In medicine ethics are based on the Hippocratic oath, nowadays expressed in the “Declaration of Geneva” (1948, revised 2006 in current revision to be finalized in October 2017). Two moral principles in this medical oath are crucial: - respect for the autonomy of the patient and their safety (in a broad sense: both physical and intellectual (privacy). In clinical practice, medical doctors struggle, on daily basis, with dilemmas around these themes. These themes will be explored and discussed in groups, using case vignettes in which doctors are confronted with ethical dilemmas. The course directors will propose a number of cases, but the participants will be encouraged in an interactive fashion to discuss their own experiences.