ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

Group F

• BSN 2202 - Ethical Principles

Page 2: Applied Ethics

• Applied Ethics: Branch of ethics addressing moral problems, practices, and policies.

  • Focuses on practical normative challenges (unlike traditional ethical theory).

  • Involves personal life, professions, technology, and government issues.

Page 3: Hierarchy of Reasoning by Values

• Worldview: The lens through which we interpret existence.

• Basic Principles: Core beliefs guiding ethics.

• Rules and Codes: Established norms governing behavior.

• Decisions: The process of making ethical choices.

Page 4: Principals of Biomedical Ethics

• Autonomy: The right to make personal decisions.

• Veracity: Commitment to truthfulness.

• Beneficence: Act in the best interest of the patient.

• Nonmaleficence: Do no harm.

• Justice: Ensure fairness in healthcare.

• Role Fidelity: Duty to adhere to ethical practice in professional roles.

• Confidentiality: Protect patient information.

Page 5: Autonomy

• Meaning: Freedom to make one's own decisions regarding healthcare.

• Importance: Provides patients with self-determination.

• Healthcare providers must respect patients' choices even if they disagree.

Page 6: Informed Consent

• Definition: Process where patients understand outcomes, alternatives, and risks of treatment.

• Importance: Safeguards patient's autonomy regarding treatment choices.

• Ensures legal protection of patients' rights.

Page 7: Therapeutic Privilege

• Definition: Withholding harmful information from patients.

• Rationale: To prevent emotional or physical harm as judged by the physician.

Page 8: Implied Consent

• Definition: Passive agreement without formal discussion.

• Communication: Health professionals must provide sufficient information for understanding.

• Documentation: Not required in clinical records.

Page 9: Benevolent Deception

• Issue: Ethical area involving withholding information for patient's benefit.

• Concern: Can lead to manipulation and ethical dilemmas in practice.

Page 10: Autonomy vs. Paternalism

• Paternalism: Limiting another's autonomy for perceived benefit.

• Ethical Conflict: Balancing respect for autonomy with duty of care.

Page 11: Fiduciary Relationship

• Definition: Trust-based relationship between healthcare professionals and patients.

• Duty: Practitioners must seek patient welfare above all considerations.

Page 12: Veracity

• Meaning: Quality of being truthful.

• Role: Essential for truth-telling in patient-practitioner relationships.

Page 13: Beneficence

• Definition: Acting for the patient’s benefit through mercy and care.

• Ethical Foundations: Echoes the Hippocratic Oath's commitment to patient welfare.

Page 14: Nonmaleficence

• Meaning: Obligation to not inflict harm.

• Hippocratic Principle: “First, do no harm.”

• Distinction from beneficence: Nonmaleficence focuses on avoiding harm, while beneficence focuses on promoting good.

Page 15: Justice

• Concept: Fairness in allocation of healthcare resources.

• Types: Distributive justice (resource allocation), compensatory justice (compensation for wrongs), and retributive justice (punishment).

Page 16: Role Fidelity

• Definition: Ethical obligation to perform duties as defined by professional scope.

• Importance: Ensures ethical compliance within team roles in patient care.

Page 17: Tuskegee Study

• Context: Research study on syphilis in African American men, initially intended to provide care but turned into observation.

• Outcome: Participants misled, denied treatment, leading to historical injustice.

Page 18: Tuskegee Study Outcomes

• Aftermath: Study continued until 1972 and led to national outrage with formal apology in 1997.

• Significance: A noteworthy example of medical misconduct and ethical failure.

Page 19: Accountability

• Definition: Responsibility for actions and quality of care.

• Importance: Upholds ethical standards and patient safety, ensures ownership of mistakes.

Page 20: Confidentiality

• Definition: Obligation to keep patient information private.

• Importance: Essential for patient trust and ethical care practices.

Page 21: Nature of Rights

• Definition: Justified claims others are obligated to respect.

• Examples: Moral or legal rights, such as the right to life.

Page 22: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

• Landmark case ruling against a law banning contraceptives.

• Impact: Affirmed right to privacy, influencing future reproductive rights.

Page 23: Perfect vs. Imperfect Obligations

• Perfect Obligations: Legally or morally obligatory duties with no exceptions.

• Imperfect Obligations: Not explicitly required, but ethically encouraged actions.

Page 24: Fair Outcome Rule

• Principle: No undeserved advantages or disadvantages in healthcare.

• Application: Ensuring equity and fairness in healthcare provision.

Page 25: Legal, Positive, & Negative Rights

• Legal Rights: Created through laws and governmental actions.

• Negative Rights: Protect from interference, focus on autonomy.

• Positive Rights: Require provision of services or goods by others.

Page 26: Positive & Negative Legal Rights

• Positive Rights examples: Occupational safety, public education.

• Negative Rights examples: Right to refuse treatment, non-discrimination in healthcare.

Page 27: Moral Rights

• Characteristics: Universal, provide equality, inherent to humanity.

• Contrast with legal rights: Not reliant on human creative action.

Page 28: Problems of Rights

• Issues: Confusion between wants and rights, competing rights.

• Importance: Need for common definitions and limits on rights recognition.

Page 29: Ethical Dilemmas

• Description: Conflicts between ethical principles.

• Outcome: Choosing one principle may violate another, both sides have merits and consequences.

Page 30: Other Relevant Ethical Principles

• Note: Additional frameworks that may apply in various ethical scenarios.

Page 31: Principle of Double Effect

• Concept: Action with both good and bad effects.

• Conditions for permissibility:

  • Act must be morally good or neutral.

  • Good effect is intended; bad effect tolerated.

  • Good outweighs harm.

Page 32: Principle of Double Effect Diagram

• Visual representation of intended good effect and foreseen bad effect.

Page 33: Limits of Principle of Double Effect

• Conditions under which the principle cannot apply:

  • If the act is inherently evil.

  • If good directly comes from the evil effect.

  • Lack of sufficient reasons for the double effect.

  • Dishonesty of the agent.

Page 34: Principle of Cooperation

• Definition: Working in conjunction with others in actions.

• Types: Formal (supporting evil action) vs. Material (facilitating evil action without direct intention).

Page 35: Common Good & Subsidiarity

• Common Good: Benefits arising from a community of equal participants.

• Subsidiarity: Tasks should not be transferred to higher authorities if individuals or smaller groups can handle them.

Page 36: Principles of Bioethics

• Includes: Stewardship, Personalized Sexuality, Integrity and Totality, Ordinary & Extraordinary Means.

Page 37: Principles of Stewardship

• Concept: Humans are caretakers of their bodies as gifts from God.

• Responsibility: Ethical expectation to care for one’s self and others in health.

Page 38: Principles of Integrity and Totality

• Integrity: Duty to view humanity holistically.

• Totality: Preserving the human body reflects a unified purpose.

Page 39: Organ Donation Ethical Issues

• Concerns: Ethical dilemmas regarding body integrity in transplantation.

• Principle of Totality: Body parts should not be sacrificed if it impairs the donor significantly.

Page 40: Ordinary & Extraordinary Means

• Ordinary: Reasonable hope of benefit, manageable risk.

• Extraordinary: No reasonable benefit, excessive risk, not obligatory.

Page 41: Principle of Personalized Sexuality

• Understanding: Sexuality as an intrinsic human trait, must enhance dignity.

• Application: Guidelines for expression of sexuality within marriage.

Page 42: Thank You

• Expression of appreciation for engagement with the material.

Page 43: Conclusion

• Invitation: Further engagement or information on the topic.