Ethical Principles for Hospital Design

Hashemi Nezhad Ashrafi, S (2017) Ethical Principles for Hospital Design. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

The subject of this thesis is ‘Ethical Principles for Hospital Design’. The mission of this research is to identify the ethical principles for hospital design in the form of a structured framework for ethical discourse about the medical environment. I think this thesis addresses a gap in the current literature, in which, there is not really an already existing structured framework for ethical discourse about the hospital environment. The ethical principles for hospital design can guide designers to identify their ethical duties toward users of the hospital environment (e.g. patients, staff, and visitors). For this sake, I will be engaging with literature that is critical of using the concept of dignity in biomedical contexts, as well as, Nussbaum’s capability understanding of dignity. In the introductory chapter, I will explain my reasons for working on this subject and briefly introduce the content of each chapter. In the second chapter, I will discuss the concept of human dignity from the viewpoint of Kant. I will then consider the standpoint of Nussbaum in relation to the meaning and the theory of human dignity. In the third chapter, I will link the idea of human dignity to the notion of human entitlements in the hospital environment. In this regard, I will explain and develop the implications of human dignity in Nussbaum’s thought and, accordingly, I will suggest a list of the entitlements of people in hospitals. Such a list of entitlements is the first part of the ethical method in hospital design which I call the dignity approach. The second part is addressed in the fourth chapter, in which I will suggest and elaborate upon three ethical principles; namely, design for vulnerability, design for healing, and design for reverence. These will form my proposed basic ethical principles of hospital design grounded in respect for human dignity and entitlements. Suggesting the dignity approach, I will, also, be critiquing and seeking to supplement in a certain way the influential Evidence-Based Design approach in hospital design. The last chapter will supply a conclusion of the arguments of this thesis and indicate some directions for future research.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Evidence-Based Design, Hospital design, Human Dignity, Nussbaum, Capabilities Approach, Ethical design, Professional Ethics, Hospital Architecture, Healthcare Environment
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of the Arts
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	14 Dec 2018 10:55
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 01:31
DOI:	10.17638/03022732
Supervisors:	Hailwood, Simon Malathouni, Christina ORCID: 0000-0001-6233-6034
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3022732