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Objective: The presentation and discussion of the content, methodology and evaluation results of a course on “Risks and Errors in Medical Science”, adopting an integrated approach for the teaching of ethical, legal and communicative aspects.Method: Written, structured evaluation using the adapted evaluation form “Evasys” as well as open questions on positive and negative aspects of the course and assessment of the effects thereof from the participants’ viewpoint. The free text responses are evaluated according to the principles of qualitative content analysis.Results: Thirty-two from thirty-six participants (88.9%) evaluated the course in written form. The value for the global assessment of the course is a 1.7 (1=very good, 6=unsatisfactory). The self-assessed learning success was evaluated with a 1.9. In the qualitative analysis of the free text answers the case orientated teaching, the use of simulated patients as well as the legal content and the ethical models of the doctor-patient relationship were evaluated positively. Negative aspects of the course were, among other things, the weighting of the contents and the limited amount of time allotted. Impacts and changes were identified by the students in terms of knowledge of legal aspects, reflection on their own action and the training and further development of communication aptitudes. The students saw the relevance of the course for their studies especially in the supplement to the compulsory curriculum as well as in the significance of the content of medical law. Conclusions: The experience of the authors and the written evaluation results show that the concept of integrated teaching can be implemented in medical studies and that it is predominantly evaluated positively. The primary challenges are the weighting of the different contents and methods as well as the comparatively high demand for coordination among representatives of various disciplines.

Objective: “History, Theory, Ethics of Medicine” (German: “Geschichte, Theorie, Ethik der Medizin”, abbreviation: GTE) forms part of the obligatory curriculum for medical students in Germany since the winter semester 2003/2004. This paper presents the results of a national survey on the contents, methods and framework of GTE teaching.Methods: Semi-structured questionnaire dispatched in July 2014 to 38 institutions responsible for GTE teaching. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data and content analysis of free-text answers. Results: It was possible to collect data from 29 institutes responsible for GTE teaching (response: 76%). There is at least one professorial chair for GTE in 19 faculties; two professorial chairs or professorships remained vacant at the time of the survey. The number of students taught per academic year ranges from 350. Teaching in GTE comprises an average of 2.18 hours per week per semester (min: 1, max: 6). Teaching in GTE is proportionally distributed according to an arithmetic average as follows: history: 35.4%, theory 14.7% and ethics 49.9%. Written learning objectives were formulated for GTE in 24 faculties. The preferred themes of teaching in history, theory or ethics which according to respondents should be taught comprise a broad spectrum and vary. Teaching in ethics (79 from a max. of 81 possible points) is, when compared to history (61/81) and theory (53/81), attributed the most significance for the training of medical doctors. Conclusion: 10 years after the introduction of GTE the number of students and the personnel resources available at the institutions vary considerably. In light of the differences regarding the content elicited in this study the pros and cons of heterogeneity in GTE should be discussed.

[english] Background: Breaking bad news is a frequent and difficult communication situation in clinical practice. Informing patients about bad news is part of physicians’ tasks. Nurses may support patients during the process of realising bad news on a cognitive as well as emotional level. Empirical studies show that experiential courses are effective measures to train communication skills. This paper presents the course concept of an interprofessional teaching session for medical and nursing students on the communication with seriously ill patients. Description of the project: Since 2002, 54 participants took part in seven courses. Teaching aims are the development of competences to provide feedback as well as communication skills with respect to discussions with seriously ill patients. In addition students get to know the specific tasks both professions encounter in the context of discussions with patients who had been diagnosed with a serious illness. Role plays with simulated patients, small group discussions as well as a session with clinically experienced physicians and nurses are the main teaching methods. Conclusion: The optional course has been well accepted by both student groups. In addition to the analysis of individual communication skills participants use the collaborative teaching sessions to discuss the options of an interprofessional approach of breaking bad news. There is a lack of scientific literature regarding the criteria of interprofessional concepts of breaking bad news. Such research is necessary to define specific teaching aims of collaborative courses on disclosing bad news and will serve as a fundament for future evaluation studies. [german] Hintergrund: Das Überbringen schlechter Nachrichten ist eine häufige und schwierige Gesprächssituation im klinischen Alltag. Während das Aufklärungsgespräch ärztliche Aufgabe ist, unterstützen Mitarbeiter der Krankenpflege die Patienten im Verlauf des Aufklärungsprozesses bei der kognitiven und emotionalen Verarbeitung einer schlechten Nachricht. Empirische Untersuchungen belegen die Effektivität erfahrungsorientierter Lehrveranstaltungen zur Ausbildung kommunikativer Fertigkeiten. In dieser Arbeit wird das Kurskonzept einer interprofessionellen Lehrveranstaltung für Medizinstudenten und Krankenpflegeschüler zur Kommunikation mit schwer kranken Patienten im Aufklärungsprozess vorgestellt. Projektbeschreibung: Die fakultative Lehrveranstaltung wurde seit 2002 sieben Mal mit insgesamt 54 Kursteilnehmenden durchgeführt. Lernziele der Lehrveranstaltung sind die Weiterentwicklung kommunikativer Kompetenzen für Gespräche mit schwer kranken Patienten sowie der Erwerb von Kompetenzen zur konstruktiven Rückmeldung (Feedback). In Ergänzung dazu sollen im Rahmen des interprofessionellen Ansatzes Kenntnisse der berufsgruppenspezifischen Aufgaben im Aufklärungsprozess erworben werden. Gespräche mit Simulationspatienten, Diskussionen in Kleingruppen sowie der Austausch mit klinisch erfahrenen Ärzten und Krankenpflegern sind die Wichtigsten in der Lehrveranstaltung eingesetzten Lehrmethoden. Schlussfolgerung: Das Kursangebot wird von Medizinstudenten und Krankenpflegeschülern gut angenommen. Neben der Analyse des individuellen Gesprächsverhaltens wird die Veranstaltung von den Teilnehmern genutzt, um Möglichkeiten der interprofessionellen Zusammenarbeit bei der Patientenaufklärung zu identifizieren. Es besteht ein Mangel an wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten zur Konzeptionalisierung interprofessioneller Ansätze bei der Patientenaufklärung. Dies ist Voraussetzung für die Definition spezifischer Lehr- und Lernziele interprofessioneller Kursveranstaltungen zum Überbringen schlechter Nachrichten und bildet die Grundlage für zukünftige Evaluationsstudien.

Background: Terminological problems concerning sedation in palliative care and consequences for research and clinical decision making have been reported frequently. Objectives: To gather data on the application of definitions of sedation practices in palliative care to clinical cases and to analyze implications for high-quality definitions. Design: We conducted an online survey with a convenience sample of international experts involved in the development of guidelines on sedation in palliative care and members of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC). Participants were asked to apply four published definitions to four case vignettes. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 32 experts and 271 EAPC members completed the survey. The definitions were applied correctly in n = 2200/4848 cases (45.4%). The mean number of correct applications of the definitions (4 points max.) was 2.2 ± 1.14 for the definition of the SedPall study group, 1.8 ± 1.03 for the EAPC definition, 1.7 ± 0.98 for the definition of the Norwegian Medical Association, and 1.6 ± 1.01 for the definition of the Japanese Society of Palliative Medicine. The rate of correct applications for the 16 vignette-definition pairs varied between 70/303 (23.1%) and 227/303 (74.9%). The content of definitions and vignettes together with free-text comments explains participants' decisions and misunderstandings. Conclusions: Definitions of sedation in palliative care are frequently incorrectly applied to clinical case scenarios under simplified conditions. This suggests that clinical communication and research might be negatively influenced by misunderstandings and inconsistent labeling or reporting of data. Clinical Trial Registration Number: DRKS00015047. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of "translational bioethics" has received considerable attention in recent years. Most publications draw an analogy to translational medicine and describe bioethical research that aims at implementing and evaluating ethical interventions. However, current accounts of translational bioethics are often rather vague and seem to differ with regard to conceptual and methodological assumptions. It is not clear and scarcely analyzed what exactly "translation" in the field of bioethics means, in particular regarding goals and processes so that it is justified to appeal to translational medicine. In this article, we thus explore possible analogies and disanalogies between translational medicine and translational bioethics to establish whether the often occurring reference to concepts of translational medicine in the field of bioethics can be justified by substantial analogies. We will first provide an account of different models of translational medicine. In a second step, we will propose an analytic definition that explicitly articulates the essential characteristics of "translational research" irrespective of the research field (i.e., biomedicine, bioethics). Subsequently, we will explore whether and in how far general characteristics and phases of translational research in medicine can be applied to translational research in bioethics. Based on our analyses, we will come to the skeptical conclusion that at present there are considerable conceptual disanalogies and unsolved conceptual problems that disallow using "translational bioethics" in a meaningful analogy to respective accounts in biomedicine. Nevertheless, we will demonstrate that some insights gained by the conceptual accounts of translational medicine can contribute to advance current research activities in bioethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]