![]() ![]() ![]() In medical practice, what the physician does for a patient should have a greater chance of benefiting than harming the patient. Under the utilitarian theory of ethics that serves as the foundation for public health, the duty not to cause harm through any intervention is interpreted to mean that any given intervention must result in more good than harm on a population basis. In public health research and practice, professionals intervene through asking people to participate in research by, for instance, answering questions, submitting themselves to vaccination or screening programs, through issuing health advisories, or through legislation. For example, the obligation not to injure others is a societal expectation, whereas the act of rescuing someone in danger is generally considered a heroic act. ![]() Obligations not to harm others (e.g., through theft, disablement, or killing) are clearly distinct from, and usually more stringent than, obligations to help others (e.g., by providing benefits, protecting interests, and promoting welfare). The term "nonmaleficence" derives from the ancient maxim primum non nocere, which, translated from the Latin, means "first, do no harm." Professionals in the health sciences, and in public health practice in particular, have a tradition of utilitarian approaches, meaning that the greatest good should be accomplished through any public health action. ![]()
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