Table 1 ABCD sequence
From: ELS (Ethical Life Support): a new teaching tool for medical ethics
Section | Learning objectives | Topics/tools |
|---|---|---|
A—Acknowledge | • Identifying the ethical issue • Facts vs values • Ethics and healthcare ethics | • Introduction and agenda • The trolley problem and variations (lecture, discussion) |
B—Be aware | • Defining boundaries • Assessing roles and responsibilities: who decides? | • Overview of the law and professional self-regulation (lecture and discussion) • Two short clinical cases (group discussions and role-playing) |
C—Communicate | • Acknowledging the ownership of space, time, and language • Fostering good communication and respect | • Short videos, lecture, and discussion • Small group exercises • Role-playing |
D—Deal | • Managing complexity • End-of-life decisions • Tolerating uncertainty | • Medical errors, conflicts, and disagreement (lecture and discussion) • Multi-step clinical case (small group discussion) • Take-home messages |