ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN MEDICINE

Abstract

An increasing number of companies are also focusing on ethical goals, in addition to maximizing profit as a business goal. Ethics in the field of medicine includes fundamental moral issues related to decision-making in the performance of medical work and in relation to communication with patients and their families. Medical ethics aims to support fair and well-reasoned decisions in the field of medicine. The key documents regulating ethical issues in the field of medicine are: UNESCO Declaration, Helsinki Declaration, European Convention on Human Rights, Oviedo Convention and EU Charter. Although the current code of ethics and ethical principles have evolved significantly since its early beginnings, the basic principles remain: physicians should base clinical practice and research on the best available science; individual personal interest is secondary to the well-being of the patient, and medical knowledge is a public trust that is applied for the benefit of the patient and society. In order to bring the principles of ethics to everyone, medical schools have introduced ethics into their curricula. The key ethical values and standards that healthcare practitioners must adhere to are: respect for individuals, patient welfare, human rights, autonomy, integrity, truthfulness, confidentiality, compassion, tolerance, justice, professional competences, and community well-being. Healthcare practitioners have different types of duties: as human beings they have “natural duties”, as professionals they have “moral obligations”, they have institutional duties and legal duties. Healthcare practitioners have an obligation to work in the best interests and well-being of the patient. It is the responsibility of healthcare practitioners to be available to their patients within the usual limitations of their practice. Healthcare practitioners need to be educated and trained for the profession, and gain relevant experience in the field. It is extremely important that healthcare practitioners give their patients all the necessary information about their health condition, medical treatment and prognosis. Patients should be fully involved in deciding on their treatment, with the possibility of refusing treatment or requesting a second opinion from another specialist. Healthcare practitioners should respect the privacy, confidentiality and dignity of patients and treat patients with courtesy and care. Healthcare practitioners should treat their colleagues equally regardless of culture, ethnicity, social status, lifestyle, age, gender, religious or spiritual beliefs. Healthcare practitioners need to continuously improve their knowledge and skills throughout their working lives. They also have a responsibility to preserve the environment in terms of preserving and rationally using available natural resources, and disposing of health waste in an environmentally friendly manner. Healthcare practitioners need to promote access to healthcare. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of ethical principles in medicine. The first part analyzes the concepts of business ethics and medical ethics. The second part of the paper deals with ethical values and ethical principles applied in medicine. After a comprehensive analysis, relevant conclusions are given.