Exploring Bioethics - NIH Office of Science Education - National ...

Day 3: What Is Your Recommendation?PurposeDuring Day 3, each student forms well-justified answers to two questions: 1) Who should decide whetherMax will be genetically tested? and 2) Who should have access to the results if Max is tested? Studentsshould use scientific information as well as the ethical considerations of respect for persons and minimizingharms and maximizing benefits. They should understand that their answers depend on factorsregarding the specific disease and genetic test, including age at disease onset, the predictive value of thetest, and whether the condition is treatable.Activity 7:Who Should Get to Decide WhetherMax Gets Tested?Estimated Time: 25 minutesProcedure1. Before students arrive, hang up three posters in the classroom andtitle them “Max,” “Max’s father,” and “Max’s doctor.”2. Ask students, “Who should get to decide whether Max getsthis test?”In light of the importance of respect for persons (in this case, the abilityto decide one’s own course of action) but also recognizing potentialharms and benefits to Max and his father and the fact that Max is only15, who should decide whether Max should have this test? Remindstudents that they considered this question last night for homework (orduring the previous class).3. Remind students that although some may think that Max shouldhave the test, they may nevertheless decide that Max should havedecision-making power. Some students may feel that although thetest has more benefits than harms, respect for Max’s autonomy anddecision-making power trumps the benefits of the test.4. Give students six small stickers each and tell them to place theirstickers on the three posters in a way that indicates their opinionsabout who should make the decision about Max’s test.Explain that the stickers are units of decision-making power and thata student could place all six stickers on one poster or split the stickersbetween two or three posters.4-26 Exploring Bioethics