Course Overview
Due to advances in medicine, heightened attention to diet, and desire to maintain an active lifestyle,
people are now living longer than ever. Consequently, more people are availing themselves of medical
services, and that care may provide a source of conflict, which is why health and eldercare mediation is
increasingly necessary in lieu of litigation. This course builds on the core mediation skills and provides an
overview of health and eldercare dispute resolution including an overview of conflict in healthcare
settings, heath and eldercare bioethical issues, and the unique features of family conflicts and patient-
healthcare provider conflicts.
The course begins with an overview of the growth of dispute resolution in the healthcare and eldercare
field and most common health and eldercare disputes. Special issues such as end of life conflicts,
medical errors and the use of apology, and cultural issues in health and eldercare conflict will be covered
as well. The course discusses interdisciplinary collaboration with physicians, nurses, administrators,
attorneys and others involved in health and eldercare disputes. The course concludes with the growing
field of bioethics and how mediation can effectively help deal with ethical concerns in health and
eldercare.
Prerequisites
MWB 601
Required Knowledge
N/A
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Identify common sources of conflict within healthcare settings.
- Explore obstacles to the use of ADR in healthcare settings.
- Identify the primary actors in most healthcare disputes.
- Explore preparation for eldercare mediation cases.
- Examine healthcare ethics consultation.
- Identify impacts of family patterns on healthcare mediation.
- Explore the most common issues arising from probate conflicts.
- Examine systems theory in healthcare settings and conflict.
- Identify impacts of trust and identification on healthcare workplace disputes.
- Explore the impacts of power and culture in healthcare settings.
Materials
Required Reading
Dubler, M & Liebman, C. (2004). Bioethics mediation. New York, New York: United Hospital Fund of New
York.
Grading
Mediators With Borders Grading Policy
| Available Grades |
|---|
| A = 90-100% |
| B = 80-89% |
| C = 70-79% |
| D = 60-69% |
| F= Below 60% |
Course Requirements
Course Activities:
Before beginning your course work, be sure to review the policies of Mediators Without Borders in the Getting
Started Lesson. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please feel free to direct them to your
instructor.
Reaction Papers—30%
Each paper is worth 10% of your total grade. These papers are responsive writing exercises designed to test skills
learned in each module.
Term Paper
This final paper is worth 50% of your grade and will involve more time than the reaction papers. The length is 8-10
pages and any papers under 8 pages or over 10 pages will receive points deducted from the total. This is a formal
paper and must include an introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph and be well organized and research
properly cited.
You will have a chance to have your instructor review your outline and beginning sources during Module 6 in
preparation for this final paper.
Participation in Weekly Online Discussions—20%
Each required discussion is worth 5% of your final grade. A series of discussion questions will be posted during the
course. By registering for a web-based course, you have made a commitment to participate regularly with your
instructor in online discussions. Because this is a self-paced course, you are not required to interact with other
students. However, your posts will be available to all students and you and they may comment and you may
interact as you would like. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of interactions with others, knowing that
you will all be interacting at different times throughout the course.
To lessen the risk of losing your work, do not write major discussion postings directly into a discussion posting.
Instead, compose and check your work in other software (such as Microsoft Word) and then paste your text into
the new posting.
FORMATTING AND STYLE FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:
All paper assignments in this course require the American Psychological Association (APA) style for formatting and references. You should be prepared to learn the necessary elements of APA style, and the course provides tools and guidelines to this end.
Unless otherwise specified, online discussion postings and responses do not require APA formatting or formal citations and references. You should always clearly state the basis, in the course material or your own research, for what you write in discussion postings.
COURSE ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
Course attendance and participation are required. Your activity will be tracked within the campus and available to your instructor. If you appear inactive for any length of time, it is your responsibility to inform your instructor as to the reasons for your absence so he or she can assist you in getting back on track.
Instructor Participation
Your instructor will:
- Post a welcome message within 48 hours of your enrollment being received by Mediators Without Borders.
- Schedule real-time office hours or by individual appointment.
- Will communicate with you through the campus communication tools, including internal course messaging, as well as by email.
- Respond to your communications within two business days.
- Provide you with formative feedback midway through the course based on work submitted to that point.
- Grade all formative assignments within 4 business days in 8-week courses, and will grade final summative work within 5 business days after the end of the term.
Policies
You are responsible for being familiar with all the policies that are related to your activity in this course. Complete information on these policies can be found in the Getting Started Lesson at the beginning of the course modules.
Course Schedule
This course is entirely self-paced and must be complete within 6 months of starting.
|
Module and Title |
Course Module Matrix Required Reading |
Writing and Discussion Assignments |
|---|---|---|
|
Getting Started |
Student Introduction |
|
| Module 1: Common Conflicts in Health and Eldercare |
Mary E. Mills, Conflict in Health Care Organizations, 5 J. Health Care Law and Policy 502 (2002). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/jhclp/vol5/iss2/8. Sohn, D. & Bal, B. “Medical Malpractice Reform: The Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution,” Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3314770/ April 5, 2017 Module notes |
M1D: Required Discussion Obstacles to ADR in Healthcare Settings |
| Module 2: The Field of Eldercare Mediation |
Bioethics Mediation Text • Preface • Chapter One: Why mediation? • Chapter Two: What makes bioethics mediation unique? Boodman, S. “Eldercare mediators help resolve feuds,” Washington Post online, December 14,2010. Module notes |
M2A: Paper The not so Golden Years |
| Module 3: Bioethics Mediation |
Bioethics Mediation Text • Chapter Three: Before you begin a bioethics mediation program • Chapter Four: The stages of bioethics mediation • Chapter Five: Techniques for mediating bioethics disputes• Schuman, J. & Alfandre, D. “Clinical ethical decision- making: the four topics approach,” Seminars inMedical Practice, vol. II, (2008): 36-42. Module notes |
M3D: Required Discussion When is mediation appropriate? |
| Module 4: Family Mediation Skills |
Bioethics Mediation Text • Chapter 6: How to write a bioethics mediation chart note • Chapter 7: Mediation with a competent patient • Chapter 8: Mediation with a dysfunctional family • Chapter 9: A complex mediation with a large and involved family Marshall, P. & Robson, R. “Preventing and Managing Conflict: Vital Pieces in the Patient Safety Puzzle,” Healthcare Quarterly, vol.8, (October 2005): 39-44. Module notes |
M4A Paper For the Sake of the Family |
| Module 5: Probate Mediation |
• CoRe Clinic (October 17, 2014). Mediation Works: Estate mediation with Colleen Cattell, QC. [Video File]. Retrieved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UMLh1FgeyY • Hartman, S. & Butterwick, S. (2010). Mediation in probate and estates cases. The Michigan State Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol.25, No.2, April 2017. • Mack, M. & Butterwick, S. (2017). How mediation expands the pie, increases options and leads to win/win solutions in probate mediation. The Michigan State Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol.25, No.2, April 2017. • Radford, M. (2001). Advantages and disadvantages of mediation in probate, trust and guardianship matters. Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal, Vol. 1: pp. 241-254. • Module notes |
M5D: Required Discussion All in the Family |
| Module 6: Systems Theory and Organizational Development |
Read: Bioethics Mediation Text • Chapter 10: Discharge Planning for a Dying Patient: A Role Play • Chapter 11: An at-risk Pregnancy: A Role Play • Chapter 12: HIV and Postsurgical Complications in the ICU: A Role Play • Chapter 13: Treating the Dying Adolescent: A Role Play • Chapter 14: She Didn’t Mean It: A Role Play • Chapter 15: Don’t Tell Mama: A Role Play Module Notes |
M6A Paper Final Paper Outline |
| Module 7: Workplace Disputes in Healthcare Settings |
• Brown, J., et. al. (2011). “Conflict on interprofessional primary health care teams – can it be resolved?” Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2011, 25: 4–10. • Marshall, P. & Robson, R. “Preventing and Managing Conflict: Vital Pieces in the Patient Safety Puzzle,” Healthcare Quarterly, vol.8, (October 2005): 39-44. • Hetzler, D. et al. (2011). “Conflict management in hospital systems: not just for leadership.” American Journal of Mediation, 5th Edition, 2011. • Module notes |
M7: Required Discussion Tangled Webs |
| Module 8: | • Nimmon, L. & Stenfors-Hayes, T. (2016). “The ‘handling’ of power in the physician-patient encounter: perceptions from experienced physicians.” BMC Medical Education, 2016,16:114. Retrieved July 3, 2017 at https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-016-0634-0 • McDonald, J., Jayasuriya, R. & Harris, M. (2012). “The influence of power dynamics and trust on multidisciplinary collaboration: a qualitative case study of type 2 diabetes mellitus.” BMC Health Services Research 2012, 12:63. Retrieved July 3, 2017 at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/12/63 • Singleton, K., Krause, E., (Sept. 30, 2009) “Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Health Literacy” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 14, No. 3, Manuscript 4 • Galanti, G. (n.d.) “The Challenge of Serving and Working with Diverse Populations in American Hospitals.” The Diversity Factor. Retrieved July 3, 2017 at http://hsc.unm.edu/community/toolkit/docs8/CulturalDiversity.pdf • Balcerzak, G. & Leonhardt, K. (2008). “Alternative dispute resolution in healthcare: a prescription for increasing disclosure and improving patient safety.” Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare, July/August 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2017 at https://www.psqh.com/julaug08/resolution.htm • Module Notes |
M8A: Paper Final Research Paper |
Grade Weights
|
Activity/Assessment |
% of final grade |
|---|---|
|
Reaction Papers (3 Total) |
30% |
| Discussions (4 Total) | 20% |
| Term Paper (1 Total) | 50% |
| Total | 100% |
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