WMU News

Ethicist discusses 'ignored' issues in health care

January 12, 1999

KALAMAZOO -- Ethical issues in health care that aren't getting attention but should are the focus of a talk by medical ethics specialist Dr. Howard Brody at Western Michigan University Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Brody, a medical doctor, is a professor and director of the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences at Michigan State University. He will speak on "Dogs That Aren't Barking: Under-Explored Issues in Health Care Ethics" at 7 p.m. in Room 222 of the Bernhard Center. His free public lecture is sponsored by WMU's Center for the Study of Ethics in Society.

Brody takes the title of his presentation from a case solved by the fictional Sherlock Holmes when the detective learned that a dog that did not bark in the night was a crucial clue. In his talk, Brody will ask what dogs are currently not barking in the field of health care ethics, meaning what issues ought to be getting attention and yet are being missed. An example of one such issue would be the proper balance between the health professional's altruism and legitimate self-interest.

The author of several books including "The Healer's Power" and "Placebos and the Philosophy of Medicine," Brody has written and researched on the topics of medical ethics, family medicine, the impact of socioeconomic factors on medical practice and the function of hospital ethics committees. He holds both a medical degree and a doctoral degree in philosophy from MSU.
For more information, contact the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at 387-4397.

Media contact: Marie Lee, 616 387-8400, marie.lee@wmich.edu


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