Ethical Applications of Informatics Flashcards
is a process of systematically examining varying viewpoints related to moral questions of right and wrong.
Ethics
Regardless of the theoretical denition, common characteristics regarding ethics are its ______________________________ approach to answering questions that have the potential of multiple acceptable answers.
dialectical, goal-oriented
the tool should help people get better, not worse.
Beneficence
Using data to predict who’s at risk for a disease so they can get help early.
Beneficence
the tool shouldn’t accidentally hurt anyone.
Non-Maleficence
Making sure the tool doesn’t give out wrong information that could lead to bad treatment.
Non-Maleficence
Everyone should have equal access to the benefits of the tool, no matter who they are.
Justice
Designing the tool so it works for people in rural areas, not
just big cities
Justice
People should have a say in how their information is used
Autonomy
Getting someone’s permission before putting their health data into the tool.
Autonomy
People’s health information should be kept private and safe.
Confidentiality/Privacy
Putting strong security measures in place to stop hackers from stealing patient data
Confidentiality/Privacy
The tool should be used in an honest and transparent way.
Integrity
being honest about the limitations of the tool.
Integrity
is all about using technology in a way that’s responsible, fair, and respectful of people’s rights and well-being
ethical informatics
It’s about building tools that help us take care of each other, without causing harm.
ethical informatics
the study and formulation of healthcare ethics.
Bioethics
takes on relevant ethical problems experienced by health care providers in the provision of care to individuals and groups.
Bioethics
the rulebook for doing the right thing in healthcare, especially when technology gets involved
bioethics
Bioethics is all about guring out what’s right and wrong in medical situations.
Healthcare Ethics
It helps doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers make good decisions
Healthcare Ethics
As we get better at using computers and data in healthcare (that’s informatics!), new ethical questions pop up
Technology and Healthcare
arise when moral issues raise questions that cannot be answered with a simple, clearly defined rule, fact or authoritative view.
Ethical dilemmas
These are situations where there’s a conflict between two or more ethical principles
Ethical dilemmas
occur when some evidence indicates that an act is morally right and some evidence indicates the act is morally wrong; yet the evidence on both sides is inconclusive
Moral dilemmas
an individual believes that on moral grounds, he or she cannot commit an act.
Moral dilemmas
These are situations where your personal values or beliefs clash with a professional duty or another person’s values.
Moral dilemmas
provides a framework for making tough decisions in healthcare, especially when technology is involved.
Bioethics
gives us tools and principles to analyze these dilemmas and make informed decisions.
Bioethics
It helps us balance competing values, like patient autonomy, beneficence (doing good), non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and justice.
Bioethics
is about using your “moral compass” and a set of ethical rules to make the best possible choices for patients, especially when technology makes things complicated. It’s about being aware of how technology changes the way we share information, and making sure we protect patient’s rights in this new digital world
Ethical decision-making
emerged from relatively homogenous societies where beliefs were similar and the majority of societal members shared common values
Hippocratic Tradition
core idea of Hippocratic Tradition
“First, do no harm.”
It means that healthcare professionals should prioritize avoiding harm to their patients
“First, do no harm.”
is one of the oldest and most inuential theoretical
approaches to healthcare ethics
Hippocratic Tradition
the foundation for how doctors and nurses are expected to behave.
Hippocratic Tradition
Key Principles of Hippocratic Tradition
BENEFICENCE, NON-MALEFICENCE, CONFIDENTIALITY, THE
DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP
arose as societies became more heterogeneous and members began experiencing a diversity of incompatible beliefs and values.
Principlism
were expansive enough to be shared by all rational individuals, regardless of their background and individual beliefs
Principles
When faced with an ethical dilemma, healthcare professionals use these four principles to analyze the situation:
Autonomy
Beneficence
Non-malifecence
Justice
Free-will or agency
Autonomy
to do good
Beneficence
not to harm
Non-malifecence
social distribution of benefits and burdens
Justice
Principlism gives you four key pieces:
Let people decide for themselves.
Do good.
Don’t cause harm.
Treat everyone fairly.
prompted by expansive technological changes and associated
ethical dilemmas opponents of principlism claim principles:
a. are too conceptual, intangible or abstract
b. disregard or do not take into account a person’s psychological factors,
personality, life history, sexual orientation, religious, ethnic and cultural background.
Anti Principlism
Argument 2: They also argue that principlism ignores the individual person. It doesn’t consider things like:
A person’s feelings and personality.
Their past experiences.
Their cultural or religious beliefs.
Their sexual orientation.
opponents of principlism claim principles:
a. are too conceptual, intangible or abstract
b. disregard or do not take into account a person’s psychological factors, personality, life history, sexual orientation, religious, ethnic and cultural background.
3 Arguments of Anti-principlists
Argument 1: Anti-principlists argue that principles like “autonomy” or “justice” are too vague. They say these principles don’t tell you exactly what to do in complex situations. It’s like saying “be nice” without telling you what “nice” means.
Argument 2: They also argue that principlism ignores the individual person. It doesn’t consider things like:
● A person’s feelings and personality.
● Their past experiences.
● Their cultural or religious beliefs.
● Their sexual orientation.
Argument 3: They say that ethical decisions should be made based on the whole person, not just abstract rules.
Anti-principlists often prefer approaches that focus on:
Relationships: Emphasizing the importance of caring and empathy.
Context: Considering the specific details of each situation.
Narrative: Understanding the patient’s story and perspective.
Emphasizing the importance of caring and empathy.
Relationships
Considering the specific details of each situation.
Context
Understanding the patient’s story and perspective
Narrative
They believe that ethical decisions should be made by looking at the whole picture, not just a few basic rules. They want to consider the individual person, their background, and the specific situation. They believe that healthcare is far too complex to be handled by a simple set of rules.
Anti Principlism
grew out of the concern for more concrete methods of examining ethical dilemmas.
Casuistry
is a case based ethical reasoning method that analyzes the facts of a case in a sound, logical and ordered or structured manner.
Casuistry
The facts are compared to the decisions arising out of consensus in previous paradigmatic or model cases.
Casuistry
is all about looking at specific cases and learning from them. Instead of relying on abstract principles, it focuses on real-life situations
Casuistry
It’s a way of making ethical decisions by learning from experience and building a body of knowledge based on real-life situations.
Casuistry
centers on health care professional’s implicit agreement with patient/client
Bioethical Decision Making (Husted)
Bioethical Decision Making (Husted) is based on
AUTONOMY, FREEDOM, VERACITY, PRIVACY, BENEFICENCE AND FIDELITY.
is all about the “contract” between a healthcare professional and their patient
Husted Bioethical Decision-Making Model
emphasizes that healthcare professionals and patients have an unspoken agreement
Husted model
The Husted model emphasizes that healthcare professionals and patients have an unspoken agreement. This agreement is built on trust and a shared understanding of ethical principles. It’s like saying, ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
“I, as your healthcare provider, promise to uphold these values.”
“I promise to respect your choices.”
Autonomy
Respecting the patient’s right to make their own decisions. It’s about empowering patients to control their healthcare.
Autonomy
“I promise you will not be pressured.”
Freedom
Ensuring that patients are free from coercion or undue influence. They should be able to make choices without being pressured.
Freedom
“I promise to be honest with you.”
Veracity
Being truthful and honest with the patient. Healthcare professionals should provide accurate and complete information.
Veracity
“I promise to keep your information private.”
Privacy
Protecting the patient’s personal information and respecting their confidentiality. It’s about keeping their secrets safe.
Privacy
“I promise to do what’s best for you.”
Beneficence
Acting in the best interests of the patient. Healthcare professionals should strive to provide care that benefits the patient.
Beneficence
“I promise to keep my commitments to you.”
Fidelity
Being faithful to the patient and fulfilling their commitments. It’s about keeping promises and maintaining trust.
Fidelity
This approach emphasizes the virtuous character of individuals who make the choices.
Virtue Ethics
any characteristic or disposition we desire in others or ourselves.
virtue
virtue comes from the Greek word __________meaning _______________ and refers to __________________________________
aretai; excellence; what we expect of ourselves and others.
emphasizes the virtuous character of individuals who make the choices.
virtue ethics approach
A moral theory that focuses on the development of virtuous character.
Virtue Ethics
Suggests that individuals use power to bring about human benefit. One must consider the needs of others and the responsibility to meet those needs.
Virtue Ethics
Socrates believed that
“Virtue is knowledge.”
emphasized that to lead a moral life and not succumb to immediate pleasures and gratification, one must have a moral vision.
Plato
Plato emphasized that to lead a moral life and not succumb to immediate pleasures and gratification, one must have a moral vision. He identified four cardinal virtues:
wisdom
courage
self-control
justice
man’s rational approach to problem solving whereby the individual uses reasoning capacities to address real-life dilemmas.
wisdom
the spiritual virtue of man or the capacity to do what is right, even when you do not want to
courage
refers to the ability not to do what you really want to
self-control
overrides all
justice
“critical reflection and inquiry in ethics involves the complex interplay of a variety of human faculties, ranging from empathy and moral imagination on the one hand to analytic precision and careful reasoning on the other”
Care Ethics
ETHICAL Model for Decision Making
Examine the ethical dilemma
Thoroughly comprehend the possible alternatives
Hypothesize ethical arguments
Investigate, compare, and evaluate the arguments for each alternative
Choose the alternative you would recommend
Act on your chosen alternative
Look at the ethical dilemma and examine the outcomes while reflecting on the ethical decision.
Think of “bioethics” as the _____________ for doing the right thing in healthcare, especially when technology gets involved.
rulebook
can create new ethical and moral dilemmas because it deals with sensitive information and complex technologies.
Informatics
Ethical decision-making in informatics is about using your ________________________ and a set of ethical rules to make the best possible choices for patients, especially when technology makes things complicated.
“moral compass”
Step-by-Step Analysis:
● When faced with an ethical dilemma, you carefully examine the facts of the case.
● You break down the situation into its key elements.
● You analyze it in a structured, logical way
Comparing to Model Cases:
● Then, you compare the current case to similar cases that have been previously
analyzed and agreed upon.
● These “model cases” serve as examples of how to handle similar situations.
● You look for similarities and differences between the current case and the model
cases
Finding a Consensus:
● The goal is to reach a consensus on the best course of action based on the
analysis of the facts and the comparison to previous cases.
● It’s about finding a practical solution that is consistent with past decisions.
IS IT HARD? Imagine you’re a judge in a courtroom. Casuistry is like:
● Looking at the specific details of the case in front of you.
● Comparing it to past court cases that set precedents.
● Making a decision based on those comparisons
The Husted Bioethical Decision-Making Model is all about the “contract” between a healthcare professional and their patient. Think of it as a ___________________ they implicitly make to each other.
set of promises
The Husted model emphasizes that healthcare professionals and patients have an unspoken agreement. This agreement is built on trust and a shared understanding of ethical principles. It’s like saying, __________________________________________________________________________________________
“I, as your healthcare provider, promise to uphold these values.”
Thus, the cause of any moral weakness was not a matter of character flaws but of _________________.
ignorance
_________________________ (Aritstotle.350 BC) also contribute to virtue ethics
Aristotle’s Nicomachean principles
Virtues are connected to __________________ since the intention is what determines if one is acting virtuously or not.
will and motive
Ethical considerations, according to his Eudaimonistic principles address the question, ________________________________ For Aristotle this ultimately means acting in a temperate manner according to a rational mean between extreme possibilities. (____________________________).
“What is it to be an excellent person?”; The Doctrine of the Golden Mean
Virtue ethics has seen a resurgence in the last thirty years. ____________________ credits Edmund Pellegrino and Thomasma with the resurgence of virtue ethics in the field of bioethics.
Goodman( 1998)
Virtue ethics has seen a resurgence in the last thirty years. Goodman( 1998) credits _______________________ with the resurgence of virtue ethics in the field of bioethics.
Edmund Pellegrino and Thomasma
maintain that virtue theory should be related to other theories within the comprehensive philosophy of the health professions.
Pellegrino and Thomasma ( 1993)
Pellegrino and Thomasma ( 1993) maintain that virtue theory should be related to other theories within the comprehensive philosophy of the health professions. They argue that moral events are composed of four elements—__________________________________________—and that a variety of theories must be interrelated to account for different facets of moral judgment.
the agent, the act, the circumstances, and the consequences
base their framework on “care ethics” (Goodman, 1998, p. 5) and propose that “critical reflection and inquiry in ethics involves the complex interplay of a variety of human faculties, ranging from empathy and moral imagination on the one hand to analytic precision and careful reasoning on the other”
Benjamin and Curtis
are less guided by rules and focus on the needs of others and one’s responsibility to meet those needs.
Care ethicists
The central focus of Care Ethics is _______________________________ that dictates providing care, preventing harm and maintaining relationships
responsiveness to the needs of others
In this theory the specific situation and context in which the person is embedded becomes a part of the decision-making process.
Care Ethics
are bridging continents and international panels, committees and organizations are beginning to establish standards and rules for the implementation of informatics.
Informatics practitioners
