Ethics Lectures Flashcards
what are the three steps of valid consent
freely given - truly the will of the patient
given by a person with capacity
informed
why must valid consent be informed
respect for autonomy
a person cant make a decision that is right for them without relevant info
consent is specific and intentional - must know what it is you are consenting to
how much information do we need to give patients
you must give the patient the information they want or need in a way they can understand (what they ask for and any other info needed for them to make a decision
what kind of information can we give patients
clinically appropriate treatments
nature of treatment
outcome
risks - burdens or side effects
what is the bolam test
test to decipher whether there has been clinical negligence
what are the problems with the bolam test
what medical opinion determines as proper should be subject to scrutiny when it does not involve empirical factual matters
what is paternalism
action performed with the intent of promoting another’s good but occurring against the other’s will or without the other’s consent
what are guidelines for
they set a floor or minimal standards
you must make judgements based on understanding of an respect for the core values of medical ethics
what are the basic principles of medical ethics
autonomy
justice
beneficence
non-maleficence
what is autonomy
The right of patients to make decisions about their medical care without their health care provider trying to influence the decision.
what is justice
The idea that the burdens and benefits of new or experimental treatments must be distributed equally among all groups in
society.
what is beneficence
the intent of doing good for the patient involved.
what is non-maleficence
Requires that a procedure does not harm the patient involved or others in society
why do we have autonomy
patients have the right to make their own decision
they can refuse treatment and decide which treatment they would like
what are the limits of autonomy
the patient doesn’t have the authority to demand treatment that is not clinically appropriate
the doctor must provide appropriate clinically justifiable treatment
what is the difference between paternalism and the doctor refusing to do certain treatment
it is unethical to provide treatment that is the doctors clinal judgement is not appropriate ie it could be harmful, ineffective ,wastes resources
when should CPR be applied
it should only be attempted if likely to be successful and will be overall beneficial to the patient
what are the risk of CPR
may cause rib fracture and damage to internal organs
if unsuccessful the patient may die in an undignified manner
if the burdens, risks and benefits are all roughly balanced who has the right to make the decision
the patients request
why should CPR be discussed with patients before hand
cpr is not always successful
patients expect that CPR will be attempted
creates transparency about end of life
informs patients - respects autonomy
what is a DNACPR decision
how an individual chooses to pass the closing days and moments of her life and how she manages her death - again concerns patient autonomy
what must you tell patients if the decision is not to provide CPR
you must tell the patient that this is the case and why it is
what is the HRA article 8
Article 8 protects your right to respect for your private life, your family life, your home and your correspondence
what is the duty of candour
to be honest with patients or where appropriate family and carers if treatment goes wrong or has the potential to cause harm
