Medical Ethics and Professionalism Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the historical background, definitions, and core concepts of medical ethics and professionalism as presented in the lecture.

Ethics

The discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right and wrong; well-founded standards that prescribe what humans ought to do in terms of rights, obligations, or benefits to society.

Medical Ethics

A set of moral principles and professional standards that guide the behavior of healthcare practitioners in their interactions with colleagues, patients, and society.

Ethos

A Greek word meaning character.

Professional Ethics

The civil code of behaviors considered correct by members of a profession for the good of both the stakeholders and the profession.

Patience (Sabr)

One of the four pillars of good character described by Ibn al-Qayyim, which enables one to restrain anger and avoid harming others.

Chastity (Iffah)

A pillar of good character that allows an individual to avoid foul speech and shameful actions, leading to shyness or modest behavior.

Hippocrates

Known as the father of medicine, he was an ancient Greek physician (400 B.C.) whose Oath is the first written statement of medical ethics in the West.

First do no harm

A well-known phrase believed to have been included in the original Hippocratic Oath.

Abu Baker Al-razi

An 864 C.E. practitioner who emphasized that doctors should constantly read medical texts and expose themselves to new material to stay up to date.

Al Qanun fi al-tibb

A well-known work by Ibn Sina (Avicenna) from 980 B.C. that covers ethical guidelines such as maintaining patient privacy and kindness.

Thomas Percival

The English physician who wrote 'Medical Ethics' in 1803, which implemented standards for medical etiquette.

Declaration of Geneva

A worldwide ethical standard developed by the World Medical Association (WMA) in 1948.

Medical Etiquette

Refers specifically to the courtesy and kindness with which a doctor should treat his or her colleagues.

Morality

Often considered personal and normative habits or behaviors regarding what an individual believes is right or wrong.

Istikhlāf

A concept highlighting the responsibility of humans as caretakers of the Earth, integrating ethical, moral, and spiritual dimensions.

Materialism

A factor in ethical deterioration characterized by an abnormal desire for wealth or being more concerned with material than spiritual values.

Commercialism

The exploitation of medical practice mainly for profit, shifting the profession's objective from 'Mission' to 'Commission.'

Ethikos

A Greek word meaning 'Theory of living' from which 'Ethics' is derived.

Hierarchy of Authority

The ranked levels of ethical decision-making in healthcare, ranging from Federal law (highest) down to organizational hierarchy and staff decisions.