A noble profession

Medical profession is the

guardian of human life and is
responsible for defending living
beings from the miseries and
death from disease.
 And if anyone saved a
life, it would be as if he
saved the life of the
whole people." (Al Quran
5:32)
"No soul can die except
by Allah's permission."
(Al Quran 3:185)
Background Concepts
&
Components
Ethics are standards of conduct (or social
norms) that prescribe behavior
Medical ethics
Medical ethics is a
system of moral
principles that apply
values and judgments
to the practice of
medicine
OR a code of conduct of practicing
doctors/ dental surgeons, evolved
over centuries, nationally and
internationally, that is based on the
most admirable human values and
principles.
 Ethics does NOT decide what is morally right
or wrong; rather it considers how we should
act best in the light of our duties and
obligations as moral agents
Ethics deals with the choices we make and
our actions in relation to those choices.
It deals with choices made by both clinicians
and patients.
Medical ethics also deals with the choices
made by society.
Greek healers in the 4th Century B.C.,
drafted the Hippocratic Oath and pledged

to prescribe regimens for the good of my
patients according to my ability and my judgment
and never do harm to anyone.
 Muslim physicians
Ishaq bin Ali Rahawi,
Wrote the Adab al-Tabib (Conduct of a
Physician), the first treatise dedicated to
medical ethics. He regarded physicians
as "guardians of souls and bodies", and
wrote twenty chapters on various topics
related to medical ethics.
 Muhammad ibn Zakariya ar-Razi ( Rhazes)
"The doctor's aim is to do good, even to our
enemies, so much more to our friends, and my
profession forbids us to do harm to our kindred,
as it is instituted for the benefit and welfare of
the human race, and God imposed on
physicians the oath not to compose mortiferous
remedies
Razi advised practitioners to keep up with advanced
knowledge by continually studying medical books and
exposing themselves to new information.
 Human Rights
All human beings are
born FREE and EQUAL in
dignity and rights.

so.
All humans should be treated equally
All humans should be treated fairly
All humans should be given an equal
consideration of their interests
 Principles of Medical Ethics
1. Respect for autonomy
2. Beneficence
3. Nonmaleficence
4. Justice
5. Confidentiality
6. Veracity
 Autonomy

The patient has the right to

refuse or choose their
treatment
Autonomy can be defined as the
ability of the person to make his
or her own decisions. This faith
in autonomy is the central
premise of the concept
of informed consent and shared
decision making
Beneficence
A practitioner
should act in
the best
interest of the
patient.
Non-maleficence

"first, do no harm"

Many consider that this should be

the main or primary consideration
Much harm has been done to
patients as a result, as in the saying,
"The treatment was a success, but
the patient died."
It is not only more important to do no
harm than to do good; it is also
important to know how likely it is
that your treatment will harm a
patient.
Justice
the decision of
who gets what
treatment
(fairness and
equality).
is commonly applied to
conversations between doctors
and patients. This concept is
commonly known as patient-
physician privilege.
Legal protections prevent
physicians from revealing
their discussions with
patients, even under oath in
court.
Dignity
The patient (and
the person treating
the patient) have
the right to dignity.

The spirit of humanity, respecting the worth

of each person
Veracity
The principle of veracity
refers to telling the
truth.
Medical personnel hold
a position of trust in the
community and their
veracity promotes
accountability and
overall professionalism.
 What is Consent?
Defined as permission,
approval, or assent
What is INFORMED Consent?

Consent given by the patient based on knowledge

of the procedure to be performed, including its risks
and benefits, as well as alternatives to the proposed
treatment.
 Informed consent
a person must be fully informed about and
understand the potential benefits and risks of
their choice of treatment.
 Relationships
Doctorpatient relationship
Maintain a professional
rapport with patients, uphold
patients dignity, and respect
their privacy.
Avoid Non-Professional
interaction
Fundamental Elements of the Patient-Physician
Relationship

(1) The patient has the right to receive information

(2) The patient has the right to make decisions
(3) The patient has the right respect, dignity,
responsiveness.
4) The patient has the right to confidentiality.
(5) The patient has the right to continuity of health care.
(6) The patient has a basic right to have available adequate
health care
When a Doctor May Dismiss a
Patient

Patient non-compliant
Patient's failure to keep
appointments.
A patient's rude or obnoxious
behavior.
Non-payment of bills
The patient also have the
right to refuse the doctor if
the doctor treated the patient
unethically and also can
report the physician
 Referral
Doctors who receive income from referring
patients for medical tests have been shown to
refer more patients for medical tests
THE PHYSICIAN-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP

1. Physicians have a
responsibility to maintain
moral integrity, intellectual
honesty, and clinical
competence.

2. Physicians, as stewards of
medical knowledge, have
an obligation to educate
and share information with
colleagues, including
physicians-in-training.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PHYSICIAN TO SYSTEMS OF CARE

1. The physician's duty of patient should not be altered by

the system of health care delivery in which the physician
practices.

2. Physicians should resolve conflicts of interest in a fashion

that gives primacy to the patients interests

3. Physicians should provide knowledgeable input into

organizational decisions on the allocation of medical
resources and the process of health care delivery.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PHYSICIAN TO SOCIETY
1. Physicians have a responsibility
to serve the health care needs
of all members of society.

2. Physicians have an ethical

obligation to participate in the
formation of health care policy.

3. Physicians have an ethical

obligation to preserve and
protect the trust bestowed on
them by society.
 When patients get angry
Train your staff to listen first.
Once the patient has calmed down,
your staff member should assure the
patient.
Make sure your staff follows up with
the patient.
Encourage your staff to not take the
patients anger personally.