02/03 Honesty and Integrity in Medicine

Thirty-one vocabulary flashcards summarizing key ethical principles, virtues, terms, and professional responsibilities discussed in the lecture on honesty and integrity in medicine.

Morality

Personal or communal beliefs about what is right and good.

Ethics

Critical reflection on morality that produces an action-guiding process and professional code of behavior.

Primum non-nocere

Latin for “First, do no harm,” anchoring the principle of non-maleficence.

Beneficence

The duty to act for the benefit of others and promote their well-being.

Non-maleficence

Obligation to avoid causing harm, including refraining from killing, causing suffering, or withholding benefit.

Autonomy

Respecting a patient’s self-rule and informed choices.

Justice

Fair, unbiased treatment and equitable allocation of resources.

Fidelity

Faithfulness to patients—never abandoning or exploiting them and placing their welfare first.

Utility

Choosing actions that yield the greatest net positive outcome with the least harm.

Veracity

Unwavering devotion to truth as an internal belief system.

Honesty

Communicating and acting truthfully and fairly to the best of one’s ability.

Integrity

Consistency between stated values and actions—doing what you said you would do.

Duty

Moral commitment to act without self-interest, being available and doing one’s best for patients.

Lying

Stating something one knows or believes is untrue or misleading.

Deception

Using a narrowly correct statement to intentionally mislead or deflect from the full truth.

Misrepresentation

Presenting information that is technically correct but only partially relevant or applicable to the situation.

Nondisclosure

Withholding relevant information that bears on the situation.

Professionalism

Upholding ethical standards, competence, and accountability in clinical practice.

Self-regulation

The profession’s responsibility to monitor, report, and correct unethical or incompetent behavior among its members.

Suspension of self-interest

Putting the patient’s needs ahead of one’s own in clinical decision-making.

Knowledge / Technical skill

Mastery of medical science and procedures required for competent patient care.

Authority & Accountability

Holding decision-making power while remaining answerable for outcomes and ethical conduct.

Communication (Clinical)

Clear, truthful exchange of information with patients, families, and the healthcare team.

Humility & Compassion

Recognizing personal limits and empathizing with patients’ experiences and values.

AMA Declaration of Professional Responsibility

Key document outlining physicians’ societal contract and ethical obligations.

AOA Code of Ethics

Guiding ethical code for osteopathic physicians.

Osteopathic Oath

Modern continuation of Hippocratic tradition, reminding physicians of their ethical duties.

3 A’s – Affable, Available, Able

Mnemonic for being personable, accessible, and competent—hallmarks of a trusted physician.

Mini-Maxim: “Little things matter”

Reminder that small lapses in honesty, documentation, or demeanor can snowball into major ethical breaches.

Barriers to Ethical Decisions

Factors such as power desires, poor communication, personality conflicts, cultural or value differences that hinder ethical action.

Role-modeling

Demonstrating ethical behavior so that students and colleagues learn by example.