Course content

1. Philosophy of Science and Technology:

• How we gain knowledge in health care
• What the knowledge is about
• How we infer in health sciences
• What is causality, i.e. the aim of our knowledge?
• How do we test and verify our knowledge?

2. Methodology in health care

• What is evidence?
• How do we gain health care knowledge?
• How do we assess knowledge in health care?

3. Technology assessment

• What is good technology?
• How do we measure outcome (efficacy, effectiveness, efficiency)?
• How do we assess diagnostic technology?
• How does technology influence organization, e.g. the requirements for training and education?

4. Technology, ethics, and society

• What is the relationship between technology and values?
• What kind of moral challenges are posed by technology?
• Do we control technology or does technology control us?

Course aim

1. To gain knowledge of what technology is, and which methods we have to assess technology and its role in society.
2. To gain and train abilities to recognize and analyze the role of technology in health care in particular, and in society in general.
3. To develop analytical and critical attitudes towards technology.