Week 2

Question 1

What are ethics?

Answer 1

Standards of right or wrong that prescribe
what humans ought to do
– Morals =personal morals
– Ethics = standards of society/profession
• Involves rights, obligations, benefit to society,
fairness, virtues

Question 2

What is a right?

Answer 2

• Privileges or entitlements
• Claim of an individual against the state 
/society
• Not always recognised by other individuals or 
society
Human Rights 
– Includes moral rights
• Right to life
• Right to liberty
• Freedom of thought and expression
• Equality before the law
– In modern times tends to have political 
implication
• Right to education
• Right to healthcare
• Right to seek asylum

Question 3

What are the four principles of medical ethics?

Answer 3

Autonomy
Nonmaleficence
Beneficence
Justice

Question 4

What is autonomy?

Answer 4

• When our actions are a result of our own
choices and decisions
• Assumes we, as individuals, are best placed to
decide what is in our best interests
• Based on the recognition of, and respect for,
an individual’s worth
• Must be weighed up against potential harm to
other individuals / society
– eg. vaccine debate

Question 5

What is nonmaleficence?

Answer 5

• Above all do no harm
• One ought not to inflict evil or harm
– Intentionally refraining from actions that cause
harm ‐ physical, emotional, cultural or social harm
• Understanding patient’s perspective

The following are situations where 
nonmaleficence has NOT been respected
• Unprofessional behaviour
• Breaches of confidentiality
• Medical mistakes
• Lack of cultural sensitivity
• Crossing social boundaries

Question 6

What is beneficence?

Answer 6

• One ought to do or promote good
• One ought to prevent evil or harm
• One ought to remove evil or harm
• Understanding patient’s perspective

Question 7

What is justice?

Answer 7

• Social
– Treating similar patients in a similar way
• Distributive
– Who gets a scarce resource?

Question 8

What is paternalism?

Answer 8

• Acting for the best interest of others
– Person may not be in a position to let their wishes
be known (Soft)
– May act against the wishes of a person, holding
that it is for their good (Hard)
• Many laws are paternalistic
– Bike helmets, age restrictions on drinking
• May restrict a person’s autonomy

Question 9

What are the 3 elements of informed consent (Autonomy)?

Answer 9

1. Threshold element
   - Competence
2. Information elements
   - Disclosure of information
   - Understanding of information
3. Consent Elements
   - Voluntariness
   - Authorisation

Question 10

What does competency mean (threshold element) and what is required to achieve it?

Answer 10

Competency of the patient = ability to make decisions affecting their health

• Relevant to the context
• more intrusice or critical a procedure the higher level of competency needed
• May still be competent to make some decisions, this needs to be respected

Question 11

What is confidentiality?

Answer 11

• Basic to be a good patient: doctor relationship
• Allows full disclosure by patient
• Some circumstances may allow doctors to breach confidentiality
  - Harm to patient
  - Harm to others