OBJECTIVES:

• Discuss the Code of Ethics

• Introduction to Ethics

CODE OF ETHICS
- Guide to the everyday conduct of individuals
- If it were a Professional Code of Ethics, it is a guide for the behavior or professionals.

CODE OF ETHICS OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

As I enter into the practice of Medical Technology, I shall:

Duty Discussion
1. I shall accept the responsibilities inherent to
being a professional;
2. I shall uphold the law and shall not engage in
illegal work nor cooperate with anyone so engaged
3. I shall avoid associating or being identified with
any enterprise of questionable character
4. I shall work and act in a strict spirit of fairness to
employer, clients, contractors, employees and in a
spirit of personal helpfulness and fraternity toward
other members of the profession
5. I shall use only honorable means of competition
for professional employment or services and shall
refrain from unfairly injuring, directly or indirectly,
the professional reputation, projects or business of
a fellow medical technologist.
6. I shall accept employment from more than one
employer only when there is no conflict of interest
7. I shall perform professional work in a manner that
merits full confidence and trust carried out with
absolute reliability, accuracy, fairness and honesty
8. I shall review the professional work of other
medical technologists, when requested, fairly and in
confidence whether they are subordinates or
employees, authors of proposals for grants or
contracts, authors of technical papers or other
publications or involved in litigation
9. I shall advance the profession
by exchanging general information and experience
with fellow medical technologists and other
professionals and by contributing to the work
of professional organizations
10. I shall restrict my praises, criticisms, views and
opinions within constructive limits and shall not use
the knowledge I know for selfish ends
11. I shall treat any information I acquired about
individuals in the course of my work as strictly
confidential, and may be divulged only to
authorized persons or entities or with consent of
the individual when necessary
12. I shall report any infractions of these principles
of professional conduct to the authorities
responsible of enforcement of applicable laws
or regulations, or to the Ethics Committee of the
Philippine Association of Medical Technologists as
may be appropriate.

To these principles, I hereby subscribe and pledge to conduct myself at all times in a manner
befitting the dignity of my profession.
Ethics:
• Rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group or
culture

Morality
• Principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct. While morals also prescribe dos and
don'ts, morality is ultimately a personal compass of right and wrong.

Comparison Ethics Morals

Source Social system – External Individual, personal – Internal
Standards and prohibitions imposed on the
individual
Reason for doing Society dictates it is a right thing to do Personal belief that something is
it, or following it right or wrong
Flexibility Dependent on others for definition. They tend to Varying, depends on your belief
be consistent within a certain context, but can and the belief of others.
vary between contexts Like beliefs – consistent
Unlike beliefs – different and
changing
The “Gray Area” A person strictly following Ethical may not have A moral person may choose to
any Morals at all. follow a code of ethics as it would
Just for the sake of following. apply to a given system.

Likewise, one could violate Ethical Principles “Make it fit” based on his beliefs.
within a given system of rules, in order to
maintain Moral Integrity.
(Eg, skit about confidentiality)
Acceptability Ethics are governed by professional and legal Transcend cultural norms.
guidelines within a particular time and place.
What may be the norm of the
society, may not be moral to an
individual.

Divisions of Ethics:
1. Health ethics
- Ethics for health professionals

2. Professional Ethics
- Ethics that relate to professional ethics
- More general, relate to other professions

3. Bioethics
- Relate to human life
- Ethics of life sciences and healthcare, both delivery and research
- Broader in scope: when we talk about health ethics, preservation of the patient’s life. Life is the
core of bioethics.
Health ethics is somewhere in between bioethics and professional ethics, combination of the two ethical
principles

The Human Person

Being a Person: fundamental basis of the ethical relationship of a human being with God and one
another

The Human person is the subject of healthcare delivery, not the human being. As a person, he has dignity
that must be respected. As a rational creature, he can and should freely choose what is best for him.

As healthcare professionals, we must care for human persons in a scientific and humane way. To be able to
do this, we must understand the meaning of personhood.

Essence of personhood:
3 criteria:
A. Biologically

B. Philosophically, the person has

a. Consciousness
b. Superior intelligence
c. Free will
C. Theologically – one’s ability to have relationships with other human beings and the special
relationship with God.

*** Persons differ from animals in the possession of superior intelligence and free will, whether free will is:
a. Underdeveloped
b. Frustrated

Significance and implication of personhood:

1. A person has inherent dignity which must be respected
a. Must be cared holistically
b. Has inner worth and inherent dignity. Person has this because of what he is: a person. Not
because of what he has or what he does.
i. As a person, he must be respected regardless of the nature of his health problem,
social status, or competence, past actions, etc.
- Must be related to in a respectful and courteous manner
- Acknowledged and listened to
- Choice of words and actions must be refined: show compassion
- Modesty, privacy, and reputation must be protected.
ii. A person can and should decide what is best for him.
- Responsible to choose because of reason and free will
- Cannot be forced to undergo procedures
c. Some actions may never be done since they would violate his dignity.
i. A person cannot be destroyed or denatured. One’s life is inviolable and sacred, to be
preserved and defended.
- One cannot be killed or put to risk of death
- Uniqueness and integrity cannot be altered (no cloning)
- Genes cannot be manipulated
- Organs cannot be removed without good reason
- Consciousness and intelligence cannot be subdued
- Free to reproduce
- Cannot be cloned
ii. A person must be an end (promote health) and not a means to an end (prolong life of
other patient, achieve research results)
- Cannot be examined, treated, experimented on, made an organ donor,
manipulated, exploited, or in an way, used as instruments for another’s gain.