4 Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is the meaning of medical
ethics?
It is the system of moral principles that govern
the conduct of an individual or a group of
individuais and according to which human
actions are judged as right or wrong, good or
bad.
Why is ME so important
ME guide your decision- making and your interaction and conduct with patients
It is an important part of medical professionalism
Violation of medical ethics can threaten your job, your medical license, or even constitute a crime.
ME provide us a moral compass to use in situations that are not straightforward.
Basic Principles of ME
Beneficence (de good) ~
Non-maleficence (do not harm) »
Justice (no discrimination)y
• Autonomy (respect patient decisions or the right of competent adults to make informed decisions about their medical care ) it’s the most Fundamental principles
Veracity (truth telling)
……………….represents a patient’s right to determine his or her own health-care decisions.
Autonomy
Competence is a legal term.
Only a …….. can determine that a patient is incompetent.
Al adult patients are considered competent unless
specifically proven otherwise
• ……….. can determine whether or not a patient
the capacity to understand his medical condition.
court
Physicians
person under the age of 18.
MINORS
minors are generally not considered competent to make their own decisions.
Only a parentor a legal guardian can give consent for a minor. Neighbors, aunts, uncles, and grandparents
cannot !! give consent for treatment of a minor.
This rule does not ………..or ………
cover life-threatening or serious
Emancipated Minor
married, self-supporting ,
Minors at older ages such as 16 or 17,
living independently,
in the military , the parent of a child that the themselves support.
Partial Emancipation
exceptions to rule of Minors is in the areas of:
Prenatal care
:Contraception
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
Substance abuse.
The mature minor is generally one above
e above the age of 15
PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS
A patient with the clear capacity to understand or one who clearly does not have capacity
Need or no need to psychiatric evaluation?
does not need
suicidal patients are considered to
lack capacity to understand because
active suicidal ideation is deemed to be
a sign of impaired judgment.
A physician must act in the best interest
of the patient.
Beneficence
Physicians must not harm a patient through
carelessness
malice
Vengeance
Dislike
patient.
or even through treatments intended to help the
an offshoot of non-maleficence.
Double effect
is an offshoot of non-maleficence.
A treatment that is normally used to help someone
may have an unintended negative effect.
refers to fairness with respect to the
distribution of medical resources.
Justice
The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.
Euthanasia
• ………….
is when death is brought about by an
act - for example when a person is
killed by being given an overdose of
………..
is when death is brought about by an
omission - i.e. when someone lets the
Active euthanasia
Passive euthanasia
