Topic 4: principles of healthcare

Question 1

Why are there principles?

Answer 1

• Guidelines to make decisions when faced with complicated situation involving patients

Question 2

Give the 4 principles

Answer 2

1) Beneficence
2) Non-maleficence
3) Autonomy
4) Justice

Question 3

Describe autonomy

Answer 3

• Ability to think + decide + act on basis of thought/decision = freely + independently
• Medical practitioner cannot impose treatment on individual for any reason
• Respect autonomy = help patients come to their own decisions + respect/follow the decisions

Question 4

Describe beneficence

Answer 4

• Moral importance = doing good to others
• Actions to benefit + promote welfare of others

Question 5

Explain autonomy vs beneficence

Answer 5

• Assess between professional vs patient views
• Diverge between medical interest/benefit vs patient’s interest/preference
• Medical interest = treatment + prevention of disease
• Best interest = reflect health as state of complete physical/mental/social wellbeing + patient’s perspective
• In emergency medicine = beneficence given priority

Question 6

Describe non-maleficence

Answer 6

• Avoiding harm to patients
• Medical treatments = chance of doing harm = doesn’t mean always avoid = weigh benefit vs burden

Question 7

Explain non-maleficence vs beneficence

Answer 7

• Healthcare professionals encouraged to do good = if cannot = atleast do no harm
• If treatment causes more harm than good = shouldn’t be considered = non-maleficence

Question 8

Describe justice

Answer 8

• Decisions about distribution of time + money + clinical resources
• Pateints in similar situations = access to same healthcare
• To determine level of care for set of patients = take into account effect of using resources on other patients

Question 9

Define distributive justice

Answer 9

• Concern about society owes person
• Fair distribution of resources

Question 10

Define social justice

Answer 10

• Benefits/burden = should be distributed fairly amount society
• Respect people’s needs + rights

Question 11

What are the 2 principles of Rawls’ theory of justice?

Answer 11

1) Everyone given equal liberty regardless of difficulty
2) Differences between people recognized = make sure least-advantaged given opportunities for improvement

Question 12

Explain autonomy vs justice

Answer 12

• Autonomy = patients have right to given access to specialized health services + make treatment decisions for themselves
• Justice = allocation of resources + not all treatment can be funded for all patients = prioritizing patients means limiting ability for other patients to access healthcare

Question 13

Explain the criticism to the 4 principles approach

Answer 13

• Adhering to the same principles for different situations = problematic
• Principles nonspecific
• No agreed-upon method for resolving clinical dilemmas when 2 principles conflict
• 4 principles shouldn’t be treated as general moral theory BUT assist in reflecting on moral problems for ethical resolution