Medical EthicsMuhammad Hammad Tariq

What is Ethics

Medical Ethics

Basic Principles

Key Point

Ethics is not a religion Ethics are not the feelings Ethics is not a law Neither it follows any law Ethics is not a science Ethics is not a collection of norms that a

specific culture accepts

What is Ethics

Then

What is Ethics

Ethics is a standard of behavior which tells us how to act in different situations

E.g. Friends Children Parents Teachers OPTOMETRIST

What is Ethics

Medical ethics is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine.

Medical Ethics

Among many principles of Medicals Ethics follows are some basic principles

AutonomyBeneficenceNon-Maleficence Justice

Basic Principles

Free to make a personal decision Presenting all treatment options to a

patient, explaining risks in terms that a patient understands, ensuring that a patient understands the risks and agrees to all procedures before going into surgery.

Autonomy

Beneficence is action that is done for the benefit of others

For example, a patient who has had bypass surgery may want to continue to smoke or a patient with pneumonia may refuse antibiotics.  In these situations the autonomous choice of the patient conflicts with the physician’s duty of beneficence and following each ethical principle would lead to different actions.

Beneficence

Non- Maleficence means to “do no harm.” Physicians should not provide ineffective

treatments to patients as these offer risk with no possibility of benefit and thus have a chance of harming patients.

non-maleficent actions: Stopping a medication that is shown to be harmful

Non-Maleficence

The fourth principle demands that you should try to be as fair as possible when offering treatments to patients

Equality Every person is treated equally irrespective

of any discrimination

Justice

A physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect.

A physician shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest in all professional interactions.

A physician shall respect the law and also recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient.

A physician shall respect the rights of patients, colleagues, and other health professionals.

A physician shall continue to study, apply, and advance scientific knowledge.

Some Medical Ethics

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