Week 1 Flashcards
What is the greek word for ethics?
ethos
What does ethics mean shortly?
means manner/custom/way/practice
a way of acting, a religious ethos
Ethics in latin?
ethicus
Explain the meaning of ethics
Ethics is about human
conduct
A code or science of what
is right and what is wrong
Right conduct/behaviour
Doing what is good or right
yourselves
Defending what is good or right
Recommending what is good or right
Who coined the word ethics?
Aristotle
What does Aristotle believe?
in virtuous living
What is virtuous living?
Virtuous living
How to live a good life
A moral life which is made up of good conduct
Which Aristotle argues leads to happiness
What is the practical aim of ethics?
to be good
to act well in your profession
What is the good doctor?
Knowledge is not enough
Moral code is required
To become a virtuous doctor
Medicine is a moral community
Because it is a moral enterprise
Its members are bound together by a common moral purpose
Examples of ethics in medicine
Philosophical & applied ethics
Normative & descriptive ethics
Medical ethics and bioethics
Define ethics simply
Simply defined ethics is a philosophical discipline concerning human
behaviour and how to act well which may be applied to any endeavour
What is morality?
Is the value dimension of human behavior; good-bad duality
involves adhering to a specific belief system or code of conduct
Ethics and morality
is concerned with how a person should behave in a way that is morally
correct or good
based on values and reasoning
It refers to the rules that form moral codes about what is right/wrong etc
Ethics vs morality
ethics is primarily a matter of knowing whereas morality is a matter of
doing
Ethical claims
- descriptive or empirical
(claims about the world)
e.g. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global climate change
2.normative or prescriptive or evaluative
(claims about how the world should be)
e.g. Greenhouse gas emissions should be minimized
What is bioethics?
It is concerned with ethical issues of biomedical scientific technologies and
the future of human life.
What is Medical ethics
is an area of ethics concerned with the practice of clinical medicine and
scientific research.
has a flexible set of solutions (facts, logic, syllogism)
often seen as a proscriptive activity telling you what you cannot do
in many cases it can be very freeing; affirming that you are doing the right thing.
Explain bioethics in detail?
the branch of applied ethics that studies the philosophical, social, and legal issues arising in medicine and the life sciences.
Modern issues in bioethics
Designer babies
* DNA banks
* Genetic modification and agricultural activity
* Human genome and associated challenges
Modern issues in bioethics
Designer babies
* DNA banks
* Genetic modification and agricultural activity
* Human genome and associated challenges
What is ethical reasoning?
The ability to reflect on moral issues in the abstract and in
historical narratives within particular traditions.
the ability to identify, assess, and develop ethical arguments
from a variety of ethical positions
What is an ethical argument?
An assertion based on solid and coherent premises
One based on ethical theories
In clinical practice, The ethical aspects of decision-making need
to be explicit and reasons have to be given for the decisions
taken
How to develop and ethical argument?
- Duty and rights
taking the right action - Character and relationships
being good persons - Consequences
predicting best possible outcomes
What is the ethical code in medicine?
To help resolve disputes between family, patients, physicians, or other
parties.
To adhere to professional duty and maintain a clear conscience.
To identify an ethical challenge and not make yourself look uninformed.
To maintain the respect of your patients.
To maintain respectful relationships with other clinicians.
To maintain some efficiency in decision making and the care process.
To reduce burnout (physicians’ personal values vs those of their
organisation)
What happens in the absence of ethics?
Ethical violations
Medical errors
The patient feeling their dignity is not respected; the are not heard
Lack of trust in the doctor patient relationship & the medical profession
Lack of adherence to treatment
Conflict of interests
Causing physical/emotional/financial injury to patients through inappropriate
behaviour
Doctors withholding treatments or promoting unnecessary treatments to meet
personal or institutional interests
What is ethics in medicine?
An ethical code for practice
A corpus of professional guidelines
A way of reasoning that promotes
human good and reflects a virtious
practitioner
What are core values in medicine and medical ethics?
- Compassion
Concern for patient’s condition and distress - Competence
Scientific, technical, cultural, ethical - Autonomy or self-determination
Individual and collective decision-making procedures
Hippocratic Oath
Hippocratic Oath was written specifically to prevent self interested doctors
from harming individual patients in ancient times
Hippocrates 460 BC - 370 BC
Translation of the Hippocratic Oath by
Ludwig Edelstein (1967)
What is the hippocratic oath today?
In developing a universal code there is the problem of:
“How to develop an all embracing ethical code of practice if one
makes the code relative to local circumstances?”
What is “The Law”?
the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority
and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom
and policies recognised and enforced by judicial decision’
What is “Medical Law”?
Establishing standards & defining principles/procedures on how physicians are
required to deal with ethical issues in patient care and research
What are the regulatory issues in medical law?
Regulatory issues;
medical licenses,
monitoring and regulation of clinical conduct
dealing with misconduct/malpractice
Criminal Law
Criminal law concerns matters serious
enough to be considered offences
against the whole community
Civil Law
Civil law concerns dealings between
private individuals or groups.
Statute
Statute refers to written law decided by
the legislature or other government
agency (e.g. Acts of Parliament); it is
relatively difficult to change
Common Law
Common law is based on precedent or
case; it concerns decisions made by
judges and it’s relatively more malleable
What is personal and professional ethics?
- Personal ethics refers to the ethical values and standards that a person
identifies with in respect to people and situations that they deal with in
everyday life. - Professional ethics refers to the ethical guidelines and rules that a person
must adhere to in respect of their interactions and dealings in their
professional life.
What is The World Medical Association?
International organisation representing
physicians (1947-)
* provides ethical guidance to physicians
through its Declarations, Resolutions and
Statements
* guide National Medical Associations,
governments and international
organizations throughout the world
* in official relations with the World Health
Organization (WHO)
What is the General Medical Council?
Regulatory body for medical professionals in the UK
* Maintain and manage a register of doctors
licensed to practice medicine in the UK
* Set professional standards of practice –
ethical guidance
* Supervise medical education and training
* Revalidation & appraisal of doctors’ fitness to
practice
* Investigate on concerns about doctors and
enforce professional discipline
What are some ethical problems in medical practice?
Withholding treatment to meet an organization’s budget, or because of
insurance policies;
* Upcoding to get treatment covered;
* Getting romantically involved with a patient or family member;
* Covering up a mistake;
* Reporting an impaired colleague;
* Prescribing a placebo;
* Practicing defensive medicine to avoid malpractice lawsuits;
* Breaching patient confidentiality owing to a health risk.
Why does ethical analysis matter?
- Patient care is enhanced
- Staff avoid moral distress and potential ‘burnout’
- Teams function more effectively & inclusively
- Enhances productivity, efficiency & morale
- Maintains reputation & accountability
- Ethics quality is integral to the wider quality debate in healthcare
