NZ bioethics principles and concepts

Autonomy

Right of a person to self governance, self-determination, and independent decision-making. Individuals have the legal and moral right to control what happens to their own bodies, lives, and choices, free from outside force or unfair pressure

Beneficence

Moral obligation to act in the best interest of others, promoting wellbeing and actively doing good. Goes beyond simply avoiding harm, by requiring proactive steps to improve, protect, and support welfare of individuals and communities

Non-maleficence

Obligates individuals to ‘do no harm’ and avoid inflicting injury, pain, or suffering on others

Justice

Treating all people fairly, equitably, and impartially. It requires giving each person what they are due or deserve, making sure burdens are shared fairly across society, and ignoring personal biases like race, status, or wealth

Tika

Right or correct

Consequentialism

Form of reasoning where you are thinking about doing the thing that will produce the best consequences or do the most good

Deontology

Doing what you have a duty to do

Manaakitanga

Similar to beneficence, hospitality, kindness, generosity, and care for others

Kaitiakitanga

Guardianship, protection, and wise management of the environment, resources and cultural heritage. Sense of duty or responsibility

Kotahitanga

Unity, togetherness, collective action, rooted in collectivism

Mana

Power, authority, prestige, and dignity

Whakamana

Upholding people’s mana or dignity

Purakau

Maori oral stories, legends and cultural narratives that pass down history, values, and worldviews, teach about behaviour, relationships, and the environment

Tapu

Sacred; can be people, places, or objects to protect them or keep people safe from spiritual harm

Noa

Ordinary, safe, or free from restriction. Everyday actions like eating food remove tapu qualities through a process called whakanoa

Whakapapa

Genealogy or ancestral lineage; layering

Muru

Taking ritual compensation or confiscation a form of restorative justice

Wairua

Non-physical spirit or soul existing beyond the physical body and lives on after death, beginning before birth

Taha wairua

Spiritual health, is essential for a balanced and healthy life

Mauri

Life force or vital essence, binds the physical body and wairua (spiritual essence)

Whanaungatanga

Building authentic relationships

Rangatiratanga

Determining your own life and decisions

Disclosure of information

all relevant, understandable facts have been explained to a patient or participant

Comprehension of information

Someone truly understands the risks, benefits, and details of a study or treatment before they agree to it

Decisional capacity of competence

A clinicians evaluation of whether a patient has the mental capacity to make a specific medical choice

Voluntariness

A person makes a free and autonomous choice to agree to a medical treatment, procedure, or research study without any force, fraud, deceit, duress, or undue influence

Shared decision making

Recognises role of patient’s relationships in supporting autonomy and consent - Relational autonomy

Protection of Mauri

The sacred life force that imbues all living beings and the world around us - Whakapapa worldview

Mokopuna

Descendant, Grandchild/ren, future generations

Momo

Type of, variety, kind, race, breed, species, offspring

He momo

True to form, family trait, inherited

Momo mate

Hereditary disease

Matauranga momo whakaeke

Genetics

Kakano

Ova, ovum, egg cell, seed, descent, stock, ancestry, lineage