Clinical ethics

Clinical ethics is a discipline or methodology for considering the ethical implications of medical technologies, treatments, and decisions. It is a practical discipline that provides a structured approach to assist physicians in identifying, analyzing and resolving ethical issues in clinical medicine.

Definition

The term "clinical ethics" refers to the application of ethical theories, principles and rules by health care professionals in a clinical context. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves health care providers, patients, and ethicists. The primary goal of clinical ethics is to improve patient care and outcomes by promoting ethical decision-making in the clinical setting.

History

The field of clinical ethics has its roots in the bioethics movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The development of new medical technologies, such as organ transplantation and life-sustaining treatments, raised new ethical questions that required thoughtful analysis and discussion. The field of clinical ethics emerged as a response to these challenges.

Principles

There are four commonly accepted principles in clinical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. These principles provide a framework for ethical decision-making in the clinical setting.

• Autonomy: This principle respects the patient's right to make decisions about their own healthcare. It requires that patients be given adequate information to make informed decisions about their care.
• Beneficence: This principle requires healthcare providers to act in the best interest of the patient. It involves promoting good and preventing harm to the patient.
• Non-maleficence: This principle requires healthcare providers to do no harm to the patient. It involves avoiding harm or minimizing harm to the greatest extent possible.
• Justice: This principle involves treating patients fairly and equitably. It requires that resources be distributed fairly among patients.

Clinical ethics consultation

A clinical ethics consultation is a service provided by a trained ethicist, or an ethics committee, to help resolve complex ethical issues in patient care. The goal of a clinical ethics consultation is to improve patient care by facilitating resolution of ethical issues.

See also

• Medical ethics
• Bioethics
• Ethics consultation