Ethics is a branch of philosophy that its primary concern is to systemize, defend and recommend the concept of wrong and right conduct. It pursues to answer questions of human morality and value by differentiating between right vs. wrong, virtue vs. vice and justice vs. crime.
Ethics and Morality
Ethics investigate the concept of morality and its purpose in society. Ethics mainly focuses on the decision-making process for establishing right and wrong which in some cases involves balancing the pros and cons or competing values and interests. Morality, on the other hand, is a code of behavior based on set principles which inform human ethical decision. Morality is intrinsic principles which guide a person on what to do or not based on what they view as right or wrong independent of other people (Williams 2012). Ethics are more extrinsic guidelines set to guide a group of people mostly in an s workplace. Both concepts determine the integrity of a person through words and believe (ethics) and actions (morality). Ethics are sometimes easily changeable based on circumstances or place; however, morality is more of an inherent truth that rarely change.
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Ethics and Legality
Law involves systems of rules and guidelines enforced through social institutions to restrict the behavior of a group of people. Laws are usually made based on the moral values of a specific society. They describe the expected essential conduct of human beings and set a limit through which freedom of conduct should be exercised, that is, ethical behavior. Both ethics and laws maintain a set of moral values and prevent violation of the values by providing people with guidelines of what to do or not to do under different circumstances. Laws and ethics function by benefiting people through the virtue of being members of a well-regulated society.
The Uniqueness of Ethical Decisions in Healthcare
Unlike other fields where are mainly concerned with the conduct of employees, in healthcare setting ethics are usually patient based. For instance, autonomy has emerged as a significant concept in medical ethics. It involves giving the patient freedom of choice in what kind of treatment they want to have. This has helped to increase patients’ awareness of their conditions giving them the right to choose and right to accept or decline information.
Status of an Ethical Decision in Healthcare
Ethical decisions may seem more comfortable since they all revolve around the patient. Autonomy simplifies the decision-making process for the physicians as the patient is consulted about what they think are best for them. Every decision is directed towards patients’ best interest hence easy to make. Physicians only need to have good listening and communication skills to get and provide all the necessary facts to the patient (Edwards & Elwyn 2009). This helps to win the patients’ confidence and trust towards the medics. However, not all times ethical decisions are straightforward. Others are more perplexing in such a case where a decision needs to be made between two “rights” or values. Doctors may deal with a great variety of ethical issues in situations such as to withhold patients’ treatment due to limited organization budget or unmet insurance policies, infringement of patients confidentiality because of an impending health risk, doctors covering up mistakes done by their colleagues in the line of duty.
Application of Ethics
There is a situation where a physician in the emergency department may fail to give a patient morning pill because of the former’s values despite the tablets being clinically proven. In this circumstance, the patient need should come before the medic’s values. Physicians are expected to put their principles aside and focus on the well being of patients.
Ethical Principles
The principles of autonomy call for respect of other people’s decisions who have the capacity of decision making. The conditions involved in this principle are understanding, intentionality, and absence of controlling factors that determine action. The principle of beneficence involves moral responsibility for the benefit of others. This principle supports moral regulations such as: protecting others from harm, helping disabled persons and defending others rights. Maleficence principle hold that no one should inflict harm to others. The principle supports rules that condemn killing, causing harm or pain and also causing an offense. The principle of justice obliges for equitable distribution of risks, benefits, resources, and costs supporting arguments such as; each person receive an equal share according to needs, effort, contribution, and merit.
Ethical Theories and Decisions
Normative ethics outline what ought to be done. This theory would help to make a decision that appear contradicting to a person’s thought when faced with different circumstances. This is because it provides a system that allows individuals to establish ethical actions to be taken. Descriptive ethics involves illustrating people’s behavior and the moral standards they follow. Decisions here are made according to the norms of society. The consequential theory holds that the results of one’s conduct are a conclusive basis of any judgment appropriateness of the behavior. Ethical decisions made in this circumstance are based on what is right or wrong to produce the best outcomes. Utilitarian theory is often related to the concept of doing the greatest good for the largest number. Ethical decisions are made based on the effects of the results taking into account what will benefit the majority. Deontological ethics propose that all human beings should be treated with respect and dignity since they have rights. The decisions made are based on the duties and obligations required for all people to make the right choices. Non-consequential theory denies that the appropriateness of conducts is determined by goodness or badness of the consequences of a person’s act or the rules which the action conform. Decisions made are concerned about other factors such as virtues. Ethical relativism holds that all points of view are valid and individuals are free to choose what best suits them. Therefore, decisions made in this case are determined by what the affected person or group holds to be true independent of other norms.
References
Edwards, A., & Elwyn, G. (Eds.). (2009). Shared decision-making in health care: Achieving evidence-based patient choice. Oxford University Press.
Williams, B. (2012). Morality: An introduction to ethics. Cambridge University Press.
