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Strech D, Hirschberg I, Meyer A, et al. Ethics Literacy and "Ethics University": Two Intertwined Models for Public Involvement and Empowerment in Bioethics. Front Public Health. 2016;3:287doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00287.
Strech, D., Hirschberg, I., Meyer, A., Baum, A., Hainz, T., Neitzke, G., Seidel, G., & Dierks, M. L. (2015). Ethics Literacy and "Ethics University": Two Intertwined Models for Public Involvement and Empowerment in Bioethics. Frontiers in public health, 3287. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00287
Strech, Daniel, et al. "Ethics Literacy and "Ethics University": Two Intertwined Models for Public Involvement and Empowerment in Bioethics." Frontiers in public health vol. 3 (2015): 287. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00287
Strech D, Hirschberg I, Meyer A, Baum A, Hainz T, Neitzke G, Seidel G, Dierks ML. Ethics Literacy and "Ethics University": Two Intertwined Models for Public Involvement and Empowerment in Bioethics. Front Public Health. 2016 Feb 15;3:287. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00287. eCollection 2015. PMID: 26913277; PMCID: PMC4753284.
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Front Public Health. 2016 Feb 15;3:287. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00287. eCollection 2015.

Ethics Literacy and "Ethics University": Two Intertwined Models for Public Involvement and Empowerment in Bioethics.

Frontiers in public health

Daniel Strech, Irene Hirschberg, Antje Meyer, Annika Baum, Tobias Hainz, Gerald Neitzke, Gabriele Seidel, Marie-Luise Dierks

Affiliations

  1. Institute of History, Ethics and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.
  2. Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.
  3. Institute of History, Ethics and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Health Psychology and Health Education, University of Flensburg, Flensburg, Germany.
  4. Institute of History, Ethics and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Institute of History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

PMID: 26913277 PMCID: PMC4753284 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00287

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Informing lay citizens about complex health-related issues and their related ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) is one important component of democratic health care/research governance. Public information activities may be especially valuable when they are used in multi-staged processes that also include elements of information and deliberation.

OBJECTIVES: This paper presents a new model for a public involvement activity on ELSA (Ethics University) and evaluation data for a pilot event.

METHODS: The Ethics University is structurally based on the "patient university," an already established institution in some German medical schools, and the newly developed concept of "ethics literacy." The concept of "ethics literacy" consists of three levels: information, interaction, and reflection. The pilot project consisted of two series of events (lasting 4 days each).

RESULTS: The thematic focus of the Ethics University pilot was ELSA of regenerative medicine. In this pilot, the concept of "ethics literacy" could be validated as its components were clearly visible in discussions with participants at the end of the event. The participants reacted favorably to the Ethics University by stating that they felt more educated with regard to the ELSA of regenerative medicine and with regard to their own abilities in normative reasoning on this topic.

CONCLUSION: The Ethics University is an innovative model for public involvement and empowerment activities on ELSA theoretically underpinned by a concept for "ethics literacy." This model deserves further refinement, testing in other ELSA topics and evaluation in outcome research.

Keywords: empowerment; ethics; public communication; public involvement; regenerative medicine

References

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