THE FOUR BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES

Medical technologists, as health care professionals, are confronted by both minor and major ethical
issues and ethical choices which may be guided by four bioethical principles, namely
a) respect for autonomy, b) non maleficence, c) beneficence, and d) justice.

Respect for Autonomy

This principle implies that the patient is able to act intentionally, with understanding and without any
controlling factors or influences that would interfere against a free and voluntary act.
In simpler terms, it emphasizes the importance of allowing individuals to make decisions about their
own healthcare without any interference
This principle is now the basis of "informed consent" in any transaction between the health care
provider and the patient.

Non-maleficence
This is a fundamental commitment on the part of health care providers in general, and medical
technologists in particular. Its principle requires that no intentional harm or injury be done on the
patient either through acts of omission or commission. One should not impose a careless or
unreasonable risk of harm upon another. The laws of society as well as our moral convictions provide
a proper standard to at least minimize if not avoid the risk of harm to others.
In simpler terms, it underscores the commitment to prioritize patient safety and well-being during
medical procedures.
For medical technologists, the need to protect patients from harm is of utmost importance.

Beneficence
As health care providers, medical technologists have a duty to be of help or benefit to the patients.
Beneficence is at the core of health care, and this implies that a patient can enter into a relationship
with one who is licensed as a competent medical technologist or health care provider. The
performance of laboratory procedures and analyses which aid the physician in the diagnosis and
treatment of diseases and maintenance of good health is applied to individual patients and for the
good of the society in general.
In simpler terms, it emphasizes the positive impact that medical technologists have on both individual
health and the community as a whole.

Justice
In healthcare, justice is defined as a form of fairness, which implies that goods in society are fairly
distributed. There are in fact a variety of factors used as criteria for distributive justice: to each person
an equal share; to each person according to need; to each person according to effort; to each person
according to contribution; to each person according to merit, and to each person according to free-
market exchanges.
In simpler terms, justice in healthcare ensures that everyone receives a fair portion based on different
factors, promoting equality and ethical distribution of resources within the healthcare system.
SPECIFIC AREAS IN BIOETHICS

Clinical Ethics
As a practical discipline, clinical ethics aims to identify, analyze, and resolve ethical issues and
conflicts arising when there is disagreement among patients, families, surrogates, and other
stakeholders. Clinical ethics may be useful in the following:
A. Identify and clarify ethical questions.
It helps pinpoint and make clear the ethical issues at play in a medical scenario.
B. Find ethically acceptable course/s of action.
Once the issues are identified, clinical ethics provides guidance on choosing actions that align with
ethical standards.
C. Encourage honest and respectful communication among all parties affected.
It promotes open and respectful dialogue among everyone involved, fostering a better understanding
of each other's perspectives.
D. Recommend ethically acceptable solution/s for the case in question.
Clinical ethics assists in proposing solutions that respect everyone's values and adhere to ethical
principles.
E. Improve institutional responses to ethical dilemmas.
It contributes to enhancing how healthcare organizations deal with ethical dilemmas, making sure
they handle them in a principled and effective manner.

Health Policy
This refers to government efforts in managing health care for the public good. A sound health policy
should be able to:
A. assure access to needed healthcare for all;
This means making sure everyone can easily get the medical help they need without facing barriers.
B. incentivize curative research,
It encourages and supports efforts to find cures and effective treatments for diseases, motivating
researchers to discover new ways to make people healthier.
C. protect health quality, and
It ensures that the healthcare provided meets certain standards so that people receive the best
possible care.
D. control healthcare costs.
It helps manage the expenses related to healthcare, making sure that it stays affordable for
individuals and the government.

Genetics
Emerging technologies and knowledge on genetics engender numerous value conflicts.
Bioethics in the age of genomics is challenged by the increased collection and use of personal
medical and biological information such as issues of privacy and security.
It also challenges the adequacy of traditional conceptions of autonomy, particularly, informed
consent.
So, as we delve into our genetic code, we need to navigate ethical dilemmas related to privacy and
individual consent.

Neuroethics
Clinical neuroethics is a field at the intersection of neuroethics and clinical ethics, which are two
dynamic and exciting disciplines. Clinical neuroethics addresses topics such as consciousness,
death, deep brain stimulation, pain, and enhancement in the clinical setting
So, it's all about figuring out the right and ethical things to do when dealing with complex brain-
related issues in a clinical context.

Precision Medicine
Precision medicine is often ethically ambiguous. One goal of precision medicine is to identify
biomarkers that predict effectiveness in individuals.
So, precision medicine is about making healthcare more personalized based on each person's
distinct characteristics.

Reproductive Ethics
Reproductive ethics addresses topics that commonly provoke social and legal controversy, and
intimately connect to concerns over reproductive justice. This field looks at issues related to assisting
fertility ( such as assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and genetic manipulation of offspring), also issues
related to restricting fertility (such as contraception and sterilization), terminating a pregnancy
(abortion), minors and access, and concerns that are more general over maternal and fetal best
interests.

Shared Decision-Making
Effective clinical encounters depend on good communication. With the goal of arriving at the best
possible decision for the individual patient, shared decision-making is the process whereby a
healthcare decision is presented, discussed, deliberated, and negotiated between the provider and
patient.
In shared decision-making, physicians tap their knowledge about the available evidence and combine
it with their experienced clinical judgment to provide balanced information regarding treatment
choices. That information is then communicated to the patient allowing them to clarify and determine
their health care options in light of their own values and preferences. Shared decision-making evolved
from the recognition of a patient's right to autonomy and reflects ethical medical practice.
In short Shared decision-making involves presenting, discussing, and negotiating healthcare
decisions between providers and patients, reflecting ethical medical practice.
Social Determinants of Health
In the clinical encounter, patients bring complex social circumstances that are a consequence of their
physical and social environment and access to resources. Limitations on those resources determine a
patient's ability to prevent illness, maintain health, and recover when illness occurs.
Social justice draws our attention to disparities in health and asks not only that we recognize such
disparities-it also requires us to actively work toward solutions both for the individual and the
population as a whole. Learning about and respecting a patient's socially-circumscribed access to
resources can enhance patient-doctor relationship.
Even with the expanding emphasis on genetics and precision medicine, it remains the case that "it's
zip code not genetic code”-- where a person's life as well as their related social experiences have a
profound impact on their health.

Social determinants of health are factors like where people live and their access to resources that
significantly influence their well-being, emphasizing the need to address disparities for overall health
improvement.