Ethics... Deontology

1. Principles of ethics and
Deontology In medicine
Goutham Siva

2. Principles of ethics
• There are seven primary ethical principles : accountability, justice,
informed consent , confidentiality ,nonmaleficence, respect for
persons, autonomy, distributive justice, beneficence, fidelity, and
veracity.
• Beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice constitute the
main 4 principles of ethics.
• Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics that analyzes the practice
of clinical medicine , related care and uphold moral values in medical
field.

3. Beneficence in ethics
• Beneficence is defined as kindness and charity, which requires action
on the part of the nurse to benefit others. An example of a nurse
demonstrating this ethical principle is by holding a dying patient’s
hand.
• More commonly in medical ethics, beneficence is understood as a
principle requiring that physicians provide, and to the best of their
ability, positive benefits such as good health, prevent and remove
harmful conditions from patients.

4. Nonmaleficence In ethics
• The principle of nonmaleficence requires that every medical action be
weighed against all benefits, risks, and consequences, occasionally
deeming no treatment to be the best treatment. In medical education,
it also applies to performing tasks appropriate to an individual’s level
of competence and training.
• This includes that nurses must do no harm intentionally. Nurses must
provide a standard of care which avoiding risk or minimizing it, as it
relates to medical competence.

5. Autonomy in ethics
• In medical practice, autonomy is usually expressed as the right of
competent adults to make informed decisions about their own medical
care. The principle underlies the requirement to seek the consent or
informed agreement of the patient before any investigation or
treatment takes place.
• The state or condition of self-governance, or leading one’s life
according to reasons, values, or desires that are authentically one’s
own.

6. Justice in ethics
• the principle that when weighing up if something is ethical or not, we
have to think about whether it’s compatible with the law, the patient’s
rights, and if it’s fair and balanced.
• The principle of justice in medical ethics refers to a fair and equitable
distribution of health resources. One part of seeking justice is
promoting the fiscal sustainability of the health system for the greater
good of society, which is where value comes into play.

7. Deontology In medicine
• Deontological ethics are based on duties and rights and respect
individuals as ends in themselves. It places value on the intentions of
commandments (rather than the outcomes of any action) and focuses
on rules, obligations and duties.
• Deontology views actions as either right or wrong without any regard
to contextual features. An example sometimes used is that of the Ten
Commandments
• Like Do not kill,” “Do not steal”

8. Importance of deontology in Medicine
• Based on deontological ethics, medical professionals should be
committed to providing medical care to protect humans from any
disease or injury, even if an epidemic is out of control. To secure each
individual’s well-being, medical professionals should protect each
individual from being hurt.

9. • HENCE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT , MEDICINE IS NOT
JUST A PROFFESSION, IT IS CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS
TO SERVE HUMANITY. A DOCTOR , NURSE OR ANY MEDICAL WORKER
HAS NOT ONLY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILTY OF TREATING A PATIENT ,
BUT ALSO FOLLOW MEDICAL ETHICS THAT PROVIDE UTMOST RESPECT
TO THE PERSONAL MATTERS OF A PATIENT AND ALSO VALUING HIS
CHOICES AND GIVING HIM PROPER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HIS
CURRENT CONDITION.

10. THANK YOU