Medical Ethics

Definition

Medical ethics is the study of moral principles and values that guide decision-making in the healthcare field. It involves the examination of the ethical implications of medical practices, treatments, and policies to ensure the wellbeing and rights of patients are protected.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Medical ethics is crucial in ensuring healthcare providers uphold their duty of care and respect the autonomy, dignity, and rights of their patients.
2. Key ethical principles in medical ethics include respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.
3. Ethical dilemmas in healthcare can arise from issues like end-of-life decisions, resource allocation, and the use of new technologies.
4. Informed consent is a fundamental requirement in medical ethics, ensuring patients can make informed decisions about their care.
5. Medical ethics also considers the ethical implications of healthcare policies, research, and the broader social impacts of medical practices.

Review Questions

• Explain how the principle of respect for autonomy is applied in medical ethics.
  • The principle of respect for autonomy in medical ethics requires healthcare providers to respect the right of patients to make informed decisions about their own care. This includes obtaining informed consent, respecting patient preferences, and avoiding coercion. Providers must ensure patients have the capacity to make decisions and provide them with all relevant information to make an autonomous choice, even if it differs from the provider's recommendation.
• Describe how the principle of beneficence is balanced with other ethical principles in medical decision-making.
  • The principle of beneficence, which requires healthcare providers to act in the best interest of the patient, must be carefully balanced with other ethical principles like respect for autonomy and justice. Providers may face situations where the most beneficial course of action conflicts with a patient's autonomous wishes or the fair allocation of limited resources. Medical ethics frameworks guide providers in navigating these complex tradeoffs to uphold the patient's wellbeing while also respecting their rights and ensuring equitable access to care.
• Analyze the ethical implications of new medical technologies, such as genetic engineering or artificial organs, and how they impact the practice of medical ethics.
  • The rapid advancement of medical technologies raises significant ethical considerations in the field of medical ethics. Genetic engineering, for example, raises questions about the moral status of embryos, the potential for discrimination based on genetic information, and the extent to which individuals should be able to alter the human genome. Similarly, the use of artificial organs and other implantable devices challenges traditional notions of bodily integrity and the definition of what it means to be human. Medical ethicists must carefully examine the social, philosophical, and practical implications of these technologies to ensure they are developed and deployed in a way that upholds core ethical principles and respects the dignity and rights of patients.

Related terms

Bioethics:

The study of the ethical issues arising from advances in biology and medicine, such as euthanasia, organ transplantation, and genetic engineering.

Informed Consent:

The process of obtaining permission from a patient before conducting a medical examination, treatment, or procedure, after informing them of the risks and benefits.

Beneficence:

The ethical principle of acting in the best interest of the patient and promoting their wellbeing.