ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL ENGINEERING OF KENYA AMEK 13

ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL ENGINEERING OF KENYA (AMEK) 13 TH -15 TH NOV 2013 SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION, NAKURU CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS FOR BIOMEDS Presenter Khalif D. Mohamed BMET-Garissa PGH

OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION What are Ethics? ABET Code of Ethics of Engineers How are Codes of Ethics Created Types of Ethics in Biomedical Engineering Consequences of Breaking the Codes of Ethics Space shuttle challenger disaster(Case study example) Progress of Code of ethics for Amek members

ETHICAL ISSUES PERMEATE OUR WORLD…….

WHAT ARE ETHICS? The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or members of a profession, particular group, culture, etc. Moral principles Values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

ABET CODE OF ETHICS OF ENGINEERS The Fundamental Principles Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the engineering profession by: • Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare. • Being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their employers, and their clients. • Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession. • Supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

HOW ARE CODES OF ETHICS CREATED IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING? Combines ethics from both the medical field and engineering fields. Examples: Medical: Hippocratic Oath Engineering: ABET & other organizations Biomedical engineers may not be medical practitioners but they are considered indirect practitioners. Work closely with practitioners.

TYPES OF ETHICS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Professional Ethics Being honest and impartial Not publishing false reports Patient Ethics Confidentiality Full disclosure Natural & Human ethics Not interfering with natural life and/or nature. Not crossing the line between improving quality of life and changing life.

CONSEQUENCES OF BREAKING THE CODES OF ETHICS Ethic standards are not necessarily legally prosecuted when broken You lose credibility in your field. From peers and & elite organizations. May be sued in the form of torts, personal injury law suits

SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER DISASTER On the night of January 27, 1986, Robert Lund, VP for engineering at Morton Thiokol, had a problem. The Space Center ready for shuttle launch the next morning. He had earlier presided at a meeting of engineers that unanimously recommended against the launch. He informed his boss, Jerald Mason informed the Space Center. Lund had expected the flight to be postponed. In the safety record of The Space no launch can take place without approval from technical. Lund had not approved because the temperature at the launch site would be close to freezing at lift off

Cont…… Robert Lund (VP for Engineering at Morton Thiokol) Recommends against the launch Because of faulty O-rings Jerald Mason (Lund’s boss) Asks him to reconsider Asks him to think like a manager, not an engineer

Cont… Lund changes his recommendation and approved for the launch www. space-shuttle. com/ challeng. htm

The shuttle crashes seconds after take-off

Challenger Astronauts lost during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986 (Top Row, L to R: Ellison Onizuka, Teacher in Space Christa Mc. Auliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judy Resnick. Bottom Row, L to R: Pilot Michael Smith, Cmdr. Dick Scobee, Ron Mc. Nair

CONSIDER SEVERAL QUESTIONS. 1. 2. 3. What’s the difference between thinking like a manager and thinking like an engineer? Why do we have codes of ethics? Why obey one’s code of ethics?

WHAT IS “THINKING LIKE AN ENGINEER”? “to use one’s technical knowledge of things” Asking Lund to think like a manager was asking him to ignore his technical knowledge. Managers, it might be said, are trained to handle people; engineers, to handle things. To think like a manager rather than an engineer is to focus on people rather than on things. ”

WHY DO WE HAVE CODES OF ETHICS? “a convention between professionals” “a guide to what engineers may reasonably expect of one another” “a guide to what engineers may expect other members of profession to help each other do”

WHY OBEY ONE’S CODE? Protects professionals from certain pressures Such as cutting corners By making it more likely that good conduct will not be punished Protects professionals from certain consequences of competition Legitimizes the profession

ETHICS ASSOCIATIONS • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) • National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) • Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

PROGRESS OF CODE OF ETHICS FOR AMEK MEMBERS The idea was introduced as an agenda in the executive council in ……. . 2012 The idea was endorsed by full council on 7 th Feb 2013 An Ethics and Welfare committee was formed to steer the process of having a code of ethics The committee has come up with a draft for circulation, comments and approval

Thank You