Medical Ethics Flashcards
Emily
Importance of ethical reasoning (3 levels)
- Individual (e.g. time w patient)
- Community/national (e.g. resource allocation)
- International (e.g. global health, crossing boundaries)
The role of the GMC
- Protect patients
- Improve UK medical education
- Manage the medical register
- Maintain standards for doctors
4 domains of the Duties of a Doctor
- Knowledge, skills and performance
- Safety and quality
- Communication, partnership and trust
- Maintaining trust
Doctor’s first concern
Care of patient
Consequentialism
A right action promotes the best circumstances
Consequentialism shortcomings
- Actions that lead to the best circumstances might seem wrong
- Some individuals might be treated unjustly
Deontology
A right action is in accord w a moral rule/principle
Deontology shortcomings
- Consequences matter
- How do we decide on duties and their hierarchy?
Virtue Ethics
A right action is what a virtuous agent would do
Virtue Ethics shortcomings
- How do you decide virtues?
- May be culturally specific
3 other ethical theories
- Feminist ethics
- Narrative ethics
- Rights theory
Respect for autonomy
Respecting that a competent informed adult can make their own decisions
- Confidentiality, informed consent
Beneficence
The obligation to act in a way to benefit the patient
- e.g. blood transfusions
Non-maleficence
Don’t act in a way to cause harm to your patient
Justice
Fairness –> both in time and treatments
Equivalent needs get equivalent access to appropriate care