Pillars of Ethics Flashcards
What is beneficence?
Beneficence is a core principle in medical ethics that guides practitioners to act as they believe is in the best interest of the patient. Unlike non-maleficence, it goes beyond simply doing no harm and encourages to actively help others.
What questions relate to beneficence?
Will this option resolve this patient’s medical problem?
Is it proportionate to the scale of the medical problem?
Is this option compatible with this patient’s individual circumstances?
Is this option and its outcomes in-line with the patient’s expectations of treatment?
Why is beneficence important?
Beneficence is important because it ensures that healthcare professionals consider individual circumstances and remember that what is good for one patient may not necessarily be great for another.
What is non-maleficence?
Non-maleficence is a core principle of medical ethics stating that a physician has a duty to ‘do no harm’ to a patient. It directs a medical professional to consider the benefits of all procedures and weigh them against the potential risks and burdens on the patient. It can be applied to assessing the risks of medical procedures – or ensuring that all treatments and medical advice are administered by professionals with appropriate qualifications.
How is non-maleficence different to beneficence?
First of all, it acts as a threshold for treatment. If a treatment causes more harm than good, then it should not be considered. This is in contrast to beneficence, where we consider all valid treatment options and then rank them in order of preference.
Second, we tend to use beneficence in response to a specific situation – such as determining the best treatment for a patient. In contrast, non-maleficence is a constant in clinical practice.
What questions relate to non-maleficence?
What are the associated risks with intervention or non-intervention?
Do I possess the required skills and knowledge to perform this action?
Is the patient being treated with dignity and respect?
Is the patient being put at risk through other factors (e.g. staffing, resources, etc)?
What is patient autonomy?
Patient autonomy is a fundamental principle in medicine that recognizes the rights of patients to make decisions about their own healthcare. This means that healthcare professionals cannot impose treatments or interventions on patients without their informed consent. Instead, they must provide patients with all relevant information, including potential risks, benefits, and alternatives, to enable them to make informed decisions about their care.
Why is patient autonomy important?
Autonomy is important because we need to make sure that the patient is actively involved in their diagnosis and treatment – and not just deferring to their Doctor.
Respecting patient autonomy is grounded in the principle of respect for individual rights and dignity. It recognizes that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies, health, and well-being.
By involving patients in the decision-making process, healthcare providers can help them make choices that align with their values.
What questions relate to patient autonomy?
Have you explained fully the patient’s medical condition, their options for treatment and the advantages and disadvantages of those treatments?
Is the patient able to retain this information, evaluate their options and arrive at a decision?
Has the patient provided informed consent for our actions?
What are some of the ethical dilemmas that patient autonomy can give?
1) competence and decision making capacity
2) Consent
3) cultural and religious beliefs
4) beneficence (a doctor may believe treatment or intervention is in the best interest of the patient, even if the patient disagrees.)
5) end of life decision making
6) limited resources
What is justice?
Justice – in the context of medical ethics – is the principle that when weighing up if something is ethical or not, we have to think about whether it’s compatible with the law, the patient’s rights, and if it’s fair and balanced.
Why is justice important?
Ensures no one is unfairly disadvantaged when it comes to access to healthcare.
What questions relate to justice?
Is this action legal?
Does this action unfairly contradict someone’s human rights?
Does this action prioritise one group over another?
If it does prioritise one group over another, can that prioritisation be justified in terms of overall net benefit to society or does it agree with moral conventions?
