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The need for training in Bioethics has been clearly established in recent years, as a consequence of the complexity that medical practice has acquired and the paradigm shift in the relationships between professionals and patients. “Good intentions” or common sense are not enough; it is necessary to delve deeper into the philosophical and anthropological foundations of man, health and illness, as well as into the current ethical and deontological criteria, as well as into the legal consequences and civil and criminal liability of medical acts.
One of the main objectives of the Master's Degree is to train professionals to identify ethical problems in the healthcare field and has a specific focus on the training necessary to facilitate the creation of Healthcare Ethics Committees (CEA). In addition, it is complemented by a broader vision, since from the outset an interdisciplinary programme has been planned, ensuring that the academic direction and teaching are supported by experience and training in different and complementary areas related to Bioethics and Biolaw (Law, Medicine, Research and clinical trials, and Nursing). Finally, due to the dispersion of students in five different territorial areas, and others who enroll outside these autonomous communities, a programme based on virtual teaching and educational platforms on the Internet has been organised.
Various national and international organizations have emphasized the importance of bioethics in health professions and in all disciplines related to it. For example, we can mention the WHO, which in 2002 launched the “Ethics and Health” Initiative to promote a approach to ethical issues that arise within WHO's activities at regional and global levels. Similarly, the UNESCO has also UNESCO has demonstrated its priority interest in the subject. At its 2005 General Assembly, it approved the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights”, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights approved by the UNESCO General Conference on 11 November 1997 and the International Declaration on Human Genetic Data approved by the UNESCO General Conference on 16 October 2003. This means that the number of UNESCO activities related to Bioethics is increasing. In fact, the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee is one of the most important references in this field. In addition, the Council of Europe developed and approved the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine in Oviedo in 1997.
The World Medical Association has also placed a special interest in the field of Bioethics and specifically through the “Helsinki Declaration” regarding biomedical research work with human subjects, approved in 1964 and amended successively in 1975, 1983, 1989, 1996 and 2000, and the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) developed the “International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects” approved in 1982 and amended in 1993 and 2002. These are just some of the main references to the importance that bioethics is having at an international level.
In Spain, the Medical College Organization has just approved a new update of the code of “Medical Ethics and Deontology” (in 2011) and the new law of science (Law 14/2011, of June 1, of Science, Technology and Innovation. BOE June 2) and the decree that regulates clinical trials (ROYAL DECREE 223/2004, of February 6, which regulates clinical trials with medicines. BOE February 7, 2004), the numerous regulations regional government on Bioethics Advisory Committees and Healthcare Ethics Committees (for example Decree 94/2007, of May 8, which creates and regulates the Bioethics Advisory Committee of the Canary Islands and the Healthcare Ethics Committees (BOC 103, of May 23, 2007)) or the recently approved Royal Decree 53/2013, of February 1, which establishes the basic rules applicable to the protection of animals used in experimentation and other scientific purposes, including teaching (BOE February 8), establish extensive regulations on Research Ethics Committees (CEI), Clinical Research Committees (CEIC), healthcare committees (CEA) or Animal Welfare Committees (CBA), which makes more in-depth training in bioethics very necessary since it requires people with adequate training to be members of these committees. committees.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]