'As You Set Out for Ithaca': VIEW- A Visual Tool for Teaching Ethical Decision Making in Medical Practice.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Bioethics
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Healthcare ethics education often lacks tools for emotional and value integration.
• Traditional principle-based frameworks fall short in preparing physicians for real-world ethical challenges.
• A gap exists in practical methods for physicians to address the emotional and value-laden aspects of ethical dilemmas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel visual tool, Visual Insight for Ethical Wisdom (VIEW), designed to enhance ethical decision-making in healthcare.
• To foster reflection on values, emotions, and professional identity among healthcare professionals.
• To bridge the gap between ethical theory and practical application in medical education and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Developed an interactive visual framework (VIEW) for mapping ethical dilemmas.
• Implemented VIEW in three workshops with 31 physicians and medical educators.
• Qualitatively analyzed 31 visual maps, observations, and interviews to identify key themes.

Main Results:

• The VIEW tool effectively integrated cognitive and emotional aspects of ethical reasoning.
• Participants reported enhanced emotional awareness and value-based reasoning.
• The tool improved participants' capacity to navigate complex dilemmas and engage with professional identity.

Conclusions:

• The VIEW tool offers a practical method to address limitations in traditional ethical training.
• Visual mapping aids in externalizing thought processes and promoting self-reflection in medical ethics.
• Further research is warranted to explore the broader applicability of the VIEW tool in medical education and practice.