What are the principles of Bioethics? Briefly explain each.
Four commonly accepted principles of health care ethics, excerpted from Beauchamp and
Childress (2008), include the:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Principle of respect for autonomy,
Principle of nonmaleficence,
Principle of beneficence, and
Principle of justice.
Principle of autonomy
These are an individual's rights to self-determination and the respect for their ability to make
informed personal decisions in freedom. In health care decisions, respect for the patient's
autonomy would imply that the patient has the capacity to act intentionally, with
understanding, and without controlling influences that would mitigate against a free and
voluntary act. This principle serves as the foundation for the practice of "informed consent" in
the physician-patient health-care transaction.
Principle of beneficence
This refers to actions that promote the welfare of others. In the medical context, this entails
looking out for the best interests of patients and their families. The common understanding of
this principle is that health care providers have a duty to benefit the patient as well as to take
proactive steps to prevent and remove harm from the patient. These responsibilities are widely
regarded as rational and self-evident, and they are widely accepted as the proper goals of
medicine.
Principle of non-maleficence
It is encapsulated in the phrase "first, do no harm" — derived from the Latin, primum non
nocere — The Hippocratic Oath states that the patient's safety is of the utmost importance. The
principle of nonmaleficence requires us to refrain from intentionally causing harm or injury to
the patient, whether through acts of commission or omission. This principle emphasizes the
importance of medical competence. Although it is obvious that medical errors can occur, this
principle articulates a fundamental commitment on the part of health care professionals to
protect their patients from harm.
Principle of justice
This relates to the allocation of scarce health resources, as well as the determination of who
receives treatment and the appropriate selection of research participants. In health care, justice
is commonly defined as a form of fairness, or, as Aristotle once said, "giving to each that which
is his due." This implies a fair distribution of goods in society and necessitates an examination of
the role of entitlement. The issue of distributive justice appears to be influenced by the fact
that some goods and services are in short supply, with insufficient to go around, necessitating
the development of some fair means of allocating scarce resources.