Ethics in Public Health Decision Making
Imagine that your state legislature is considering a law that would require parental consent for newborn screening. Parental consent is currently not required, although newborn testing is not conducted over parental objection. (Currently only a few states actually require consent.) The health department has been asked to take a position on the pending legislation.
Using the readings for the week, the South University online library, and the Internet, write a 3–5-page paper.
Cover the following:
- What position should the health department take? Use the following six questions to help craft your response (Bernheim, Nieburg, & Bonnie, 2005).
Ethics Guide for Public Health Decision Making
- What are the public health risks and harms of concern in this particular context?
- What are the public health goals?
- Who are the stakeholders and what are their moral claims?
- Is this source or scope of legal authority in question?
- Are precedent cases or the historical context relevant?
- Do professional codes of ethics provide guidance?
Submit your response in a Microsoft Word document
On a separate page, cite all sources using the APA format.