Six Ethical Principles In Healthcare

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Six Ethical Principles in Healthcare Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2015) defines ethics as an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior. It is a group of accepted norms, a moral compass, that guides society in determining what is right and what is wrong. Research ethics refers to the codes, ethical norms, and standards that guide our research practices (Farrimond, 2013). Ethical considerations are especially important in healthcare research, as many of these studies involve human subjects. On July 12, 1974, the National Research Act was signed into law, which created the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The Commission identified the basic ethical principles…show more content…
Simply, beneficence is the action of benefiting others. Beneficent actions include improving the living conditions of others, preventing harm, or helping those in need. Mother Teresa is an example of beneficent behavior. Other examples of beneficent actions are vaccinating at-risk populations in developing countries and starting a literacy program in a local community. The ethical principle of beneficence dates back to the Ancient Greek's Hippocratic Oath. The oath requires medical professionals to swear that they will use their medical expertise to benefit patients (National Institutes of Health,…show more content…
Its shortcomings led to the development of the National Research Act in 1974, establishing the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The committee penned The Belmont Report, a summary of the ethical standards that should guide research involving human subjects. Among the standards are respect for persons, justice, beneficence, non-maleficence, fidelity, and academic freedom. These ethical principles guide clinical studies for new drugs and treatments, including those conducted by pharmaceutical companies and research hospitals. Though harm cannot be completely eliminated in research studies, following ethical guidelines can prevent studies like the Tuskegee study from happening in a civilized, just

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