Ethical Theories, Principles, and Concepts - Assignment Example

Ethical Theories, Principles, and Concepts Q1. Law and regulations set for medical care is a major challenge in addressing ethical problems. Medical professionals face healthcare challenges different from the rest of the population. The professionals face challenges in making choices for the benefit of their clients. For one to practice medicine, he or she must understand the legal implications for both the patient and the practitioner. The legal system allows any individual to sue another if he or she breaches the legal standards in practice.

Even if suing may not necessarily be that an individual is guilty, it affects the reputation of an institution or a person even if declared innocent. Medical staff may desist from helping patients in the event of occurrence of a disaster for fear of prosecution (Fremgen, 2009).The law provides a standard measure for an individual’s action and punishes lawbreakers. Whatever is punishable by law is immoral and unethical. However, the law permits actions such as manipulation and lying, which is morally offensive.

The law set to regulate medical care aims at maintaining high standards of morality, which may not consider the anticipated good. Medical law and regulations allow for autonomy, which at times may make one make uninformed decision on a particular treatment procedure that could in turn affect the life of the patient and at times leading to loss of life. Some medical practices are justified in medical procedure but are unethical and unethical. Therefore, the laws and regulations are a challenge other than a solution to the problem (Garrett, Baillie, & Garrett, 2010).Q2.The practice of medicine requires a proper understanding of the ethical philosophies and principles.

The principals that safeguard it include among others the respect for autonomy. Autonomy provides the patient with the right to take well-informed independent choice without influence, and medical practitioners should obey the patient’s decisions. The principle provides for non-maleficence where the Hippocratic Oath applies (Fremgen, 2009). The doctor can only treat the patient according to what he or she knows best and avoid injuring the patient. The principle advocates for doing good to the patient.

In this principle, the doctor must administer treatment to the patient without causing pain to the patient. Finally, the rule of justice must prevail. The medical care should be fair, reasonable, equitable and without preference (Fremgen, 2009).Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory that explains ethical practice to be for the good of the many. The theory aims apply in a cost effective analysis and promotes affordable medical procedures that are fair and affordable. Any medical procedure whose benefits outweigh cost is unlikely to be undertaken.

However, government policy greatly influences the theory in budgeting and legislation (Fremgen, 2009).The other philosophy is the right-based ethics which emphasizes on the individual rights by applying the principle of justice based on the medical law and ethics. The theory applies in acceptance of medical procedure such as transplant in which the donor has the liberty to donate, and the patient has the right to accept or deny. The philosophy also promotes duty-based ethics among medical practitioners.

In summary, the ethical philosophies and ethical principles work in harmony to maintain desirable ethical standards.ReferencesFremgen, B. F. (2009). Medical law and ethics. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.Garrett, T. M., Baillie, H. W., & Garrett, R. M. (2010). Health care ethics: Principles and problems. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.