Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BIOETHICS (Health Care Ethics)
BIOETHICS (Health Care Ethics)
ETHICS
Greek word ethicos which means “custom” or “character”
Defined as the philosophical science (normative and theoretical) that deals with the morality of human conduct
Difference Between Ethics and Morality
Ethics (Greek) ethos
Morality (Latin) mos/moris
Both means custom
The former provides the theories & principles of right or wrong/ good or bad actions while the later, actualizes
these theories & principles.
Health Care Ethics
Concerned with the type of conduct or character that is approved or disapproved of in terms of right or wrong
or good or bad related to health-care service.
Designed to promote orders and maintain civility.
Ethical Theories
Provides a schema, structure or framework in order that the rightness or wrongness, and goodness or badness
of human conduct will be determined
- Mappes & DeGrazia
A guiding principle in resolving moral judgements, problems and issues.
Ethical Theories
Deontology
Came from the Greek word DEON, which means duty, implying obligations.
A system of ethics which judges the rightness or wrongness of action based on whether they adhere to a rule or
set of rules
Duty or principle based theory
An act is right if it conforms to an overriding moral duty
A moral duty or principle is one that is:
laid down by god / supremely rational being or is in accordance with reason / rationality or would be agreed by
all rational beings
Teleology
Refers to moral system that determines the moral value of actions by their outcomes or results.
Came from the Greek word TELOS meaning END. An action is morally right if its favorable consequences are
greater than its adverse outcomes.
Utilitarianism
Derived from the Latin term utilis which means “useful”.
Is the most influential consequentialist theory.
States that what is useful is good, and that the moral value of action are determined by the utility of its
consequences.
Utilitarianism explains that those actions that bring about favorable effects are moral while those that produce
damaging results are immoral.
Utilitarianism is opposed to ethical theories that considers God’s will. For example, in lying. Lying is bad for it is
against God’s 8th commandment which is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” or basically
means, thou shall not lie at all cost and honor the truth. But for utilitarianism, lying is good if the action brings
good outcome, or greater good.
Virtue Ethics
Virtue-based ethical system are often called aretaic ethics, which is translated as virtue or excellence
Its primary focus is the heart of the moral agent making the decision rather than the reasoning to a right action.
It is primarily about personal character and moral habit development rather than a particular action
Not “what shall I do?” but rather “how should I carry out my lie if I am to live well?”.
Patient’s Rights
1.Right to Appropriate Medical Care and Humane Treatment.
2. Right to Informed Consent
3. Right to Privacy and Confidentiality
4. Right to Information.
5. The Right to Choose Health Care Provider and Facility
6. Right to Self-Determination.
7. Right to Religious Belief.
8. Right to Medical Records.
9. Right to Leave
10. Right to Refuse Participation In Medical Research.
11. Right to Correspondence and to Receive Visitors
12. Right to Express Grievances.
13. Right to be Informed of His Rights and Obligations as a Patient.
Confidentiality
The principle that binds the practitioner to hold in strict confidence those things learned about a patient
in the course of medical practice
Privacy
A national standard to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and
applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care
transactions electronically.
Veracity
Truth telling. The practice of health care is best served in a relationship of trust in which practitioner and
patient are bound to the truth
Fidelity
Derived from the Latin word fidelitas meaning faithfulness.
Fidelity in nursing means that nurses must be faithful to the promises they made as professionals to provide
competent, quality care to their patients.
Justice
Justice means fairness. When nurses care for a group of patients, care must be given equitably, fairly
and justly to each individual. A nurse cannot play favorites or compromise care because of personal opinions or beliefs.
Justice means fairness. When nurses care for a group of patients, care must be given equitably, fairly
and justly to each individual. A nurse cannot play favorites or compromise care because of personal opinions or beliefs.
Beneficence
The principle that imposes on the practitioner a duty to seek the good for patients under all
circumstances
Do unto others what you want others do unto you
- Kong Zi
Non-Maleficence
The principle that imposes the duty to avoid or refrain from harming the patient. It does not matter whether the
harm is intentional or unintentional.