surgical ethics Flashcards
define “moral right”
moral conduct–> principles or habits relating to right and wrong conduct (personal moral compass)
define “ethical right”
the study of morality–> code of conduct defined by rules or actions defined by a group/culture
define “practical right”
ends justify the means, sacrifice the few to save the many
define “legal right”
dictated by criminal code, which may not be the same as the right things
define dignity
state worthy of being respected–> many patients see dignity as the highest value
define autonomy
responsibility or ability to choose and make decisions about one’s life after evaluating options rationally and evaluating consequences
you need sufficient facts
what is informed consent
involves giving sufficient information in understandable (i.e layman’s terms) language such that the patient understands the consequences of the actions being consented
the info that a reasonable person in the same circumstances would need to make a decision
disclosing all possible outcomes and risks
describing alternatives and options
potential consequences of refusing treatment
must be GENUINE, voluntary without coercion, free to withdraw consent at any time
what is valid consent
consent recognized as valid under the law, given genuinely and voluntarily without coercion
requires competence
consenter must have legal capacity to consent
define competence
ability to understand and comprehend information to make a decision
what is explicit consent
given orally or in writing
better in situations that involve risk
what is implicit consent
implied by the action of a patient
when must patient confidentiality be breached
when the patient consents to it–> based on patient autonomy; trust is important
when there is a real, imminent threat to the patient or others and the threat can only be removed by a breach in confidentiality
what is maleficence
primum non nocere
