HLT-305
Tuesday 26, 2014 * Went over class
Thursday 28, 2014
Ethics
* Is the study of rightness or wrongness of human deliberation, decision, and action * Such study assume that moral evaluations criteria exist above the level of individual human choice ( sheer relativism) * There is disagreement about the scope and nature of evaluative criteria
Medical Ethics * Practical, deliberation process of addressing the rightness and wrongness of medical act * Involves question of what I ought to do or not as relates to the rightness or wrongness of particular actions * Involves questions of motives or intent
Principles
* A principles may be defined as a basic truth or general law or doctrine that is used as a basis of reasoning or a guide to action or behavior.
Principlism
* The Belmont report * Beauchamp and childress’ text
The Georgetown mantra * The principles
Beneficence
* Doing the best of someone well being * It’s going to benefit the patient the some way * An obligations to help others further their important and legitimate interests * Paternalism- consists in the judgment that beneficence trumps autonomy
Non-maleficence
* Do no harm * We need to make sure were not doing harm to the patients, make the patient understand what treatment they are getting. That the harm is out weighted for benefits. *
Respect for autonomy * Respect the choice of the patients, and protect the people who can’t make choices themselves
Justice
* We need to solve the end results and providing the patient with justice
Types of paternalism * Weak paternalism * Where an agent intervenes on ground of beneficence to prevent substantially nonautonomous conduct * Strong Paternalism * Where an agent intervenes on ground of beneficence to prevent substantially autonomous conduct
Specific beneficence * Obligatory beneficence * Provide the patient with e beneficial health care * Refers to those positive obligations we owe to certain others * We owe a duty of specific beneficence to those others with whom we are in some special relationship
General beneficence * For the most part, general beneficence is ideal beneficence * E.g.- moral ideals as opposed to moral rules ( but see next slide) * Directed toward all others * Beauchamp and childress argue that a person X owes an obligatory duty of general beneficence towards a person Y if
Respect for autonomy * Autonomy refers to personal rules of the self while remaining free from * Controlling interference by others * Personal limitations, such as inadequate understanding, that prevent meaningful choice * Requirement for autonomous choice
Decisional capacity
Informed decision * Risk and benefits of suggested treatment * Alternative treatment, including no treatment * Voluntary decision * No all influence
Decisional capacity * Refer the ability to make decision * Should we allow this person to make this decision under these circumstances * Generally a person is considered to have decisional capacity if * He or she understand the situation and the consequences of the decision and the decision is based upon adequate