Ethical Issues Definitions
Ethics
Ethics is defined as the science of the ideal human character and behavior in situations where distinction must be made between right and wrong, duty must be followed and good interpersonal relations maintained
Ethical Issues Important Notes
1. Ethical principles
- To do no harm
- To do good
- Respect for persons
- Truthfulness
- Confidentiality
2. Informed consent
- It is voluntary, comprehending and confidential
- It is an essential component of a patient’s right to autonomy
Ethical Issues Long Essays
Question 1. Discuss in detail the principles of ethics to be followed by a dentist. Add a note on unethical practices by a dentist
Answer:
Principles of ethics to be followed by a dentist:
To Do No Harm (Non-Maleficence):
- It is the foundation of social morality
- The dentist in cases where pain cannot be avoided can make attempts to minimize it or an alternative can be presented to the patient
To Do Good (Beneficence):
- It should be the role of any health providers to benefit patients, as well as not to inflict harm
- In the process of treating a patient what has to be weighed are the consequences of treatment versus no treatment
- The expectation of the patient is that the care provider will initiate beneficial action
Respect For Persons:
It involves
1. Autonomy:
That dictates health providers respect the patient’s right to make decisions concerning the treatment plan
2. Informed Consent:
- It is both a legal & an ethical concept
- It is an essential component of a patient’s right to autonomy
Justice:
- It is described as fairness/ equal treatment giving each his/ her right/due
- Dentists can provide some free/ discounted care to the needy or provide financial support/donate for low-income patients
Truthfulness:
Lying fails to show respect for persons & their autonomy
Confidentiality:
- Patients have the right to expect that his/her treatment related talks & works are treated as confidential
- It can be breached only if it would benefit the patient
- Confidentiality must be maintained at all times.
Unethical Practices:
- Practice by unregistered persons employed by the dentist
- Dentist signed under his name & authority issuing any certificate which is untrue, misleading or improper
- Dentist advertising whether directly or indirectly for the purpose of obtaining patients or promoting his own professional advantage
- Use of bogus diplomas
- Allowing commission
- Paying or accepting the commission of charges in order to solicit patients
- If the planned treatment is beyond the dentist’s skill, the patient is not referred to a consultant
- In case of an emergency consultation during the temporary absence of the patient’s dentist, temporary service is provided & the patient is not sent back
- If consulted, the dentist accepts charge of the case without a request of the referring dentist
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- Any contravention of the drugs
- Immorally involving abuse of the professional relationship
- Involving in any kind of illegal practice
- Employing secret methods of treatment
- Using sign boards greater than 0.9 m 0.6 m & use of words like teeth, painless extraction
- Insertion of any paragraphs & notices in the press
- Allowing the dentist’s name for commercial articles like toothpaste, toothbrush, tooth powder
- Mentioning any abbreviations after the dentist’s name other than dental qualification
Ethical Issues Short Essays
Question 1. Ethical rules for dentists.
Answer:
Duties Of Dentists Towards The Patient:
- Every dentist should be courteous, sympathetic, friendly & helpful
- He should observe punctuality in fulfilling appointments
- He should establish a well-merited reputation for professional ability
- The welfare of the patient should be conserved
- A dentist should not permit differentiating in terms of religion, nationality, race, party politics, or social standings
- Should keep patient’s information confidential
Duties Of Dentists Towards Colleagues:
- Cherish proper pride in his colleague
- Should not do anything harmful to the interest of the members of the fraternity
- Honor mutual arrangements made regarding remuneration
- Retire in favor of a regular dentist, after the emergency is over.
- Institute correct treatment at once
- Regard it as a pleasure & privilege to render gratuitous service to another dentist
Duties Of Dentist To The Public:
The dentist has to assume a leadership role in the community on matters related to dental health
Question 2. Consent.
Answer:
Consent
- It is a both legal & ethical concept
- It is the largest principle of the Nuremberg code
1. Attributes:
- Voluntary
- Legally competent
- Informed
- Comprehending
2. Process:
- It is a two-step process
- Information is presented to the patient by the doctor
- The patient satisfies himself/herself that he/she understands
It consists of
- Description of the proposed treatment
- Material/foreseeable risks
- Benefits & prognosis of proposed treatment
- Alternative to the proposed treatment
- Risks, benefits & prognosis of alternative treatment
- A statement that the patient has understood & is willing to the treatment
- The signature of the patient & of a witness
Ethical Issues Short Question And Answers
Question 1. Tort.
Answer:
Tort
It is a civil wrong or injury, independent of a contract, that results from a breach of a duty
Types of Tort :
- An unintentional tort
- In it, harm is not caused by intentional
- An intentional tort
- Contains intentional harm
Question 2. Ethical principles.
Answer:
Ethical principles
- Ethical principles are
- To do no harm
- To do good
- Respect for persons
- Justice
- Veracity or truthfulness
- Confidentiality
Question 3. Consent.
Answer:
Consent
- It is a both legal & ethical concept
- It is the largest principle of the Nuremberg code
- It consists of
- Description of the proposed treatment
- Material/foreseeable risks
- Benefits & prognosis of proposed treatment
- Alternative to the proposed treatment
- Risks, benefits & prognosis of alternative treatment
- A statement that the patient has understood & is willing to the treatment
- The signature of the patient & of a witness
Ethical Issues Viva Voce
- Informed consent was proposed by the Nuremberg code
- In earlier days, the remedy for medical negligence was under the law of tort
- Consent considered by the fact that a patient comes to a doctor for an ailment that he agrees to examination is Tacit consent
- Components of informed consent include information. Voluntariness and capacity
- The informed consent should be in the local language
- A dentist is criminally liable if he commits tort intentionally
- Ethical principles guiding the conduct of the population based on research and practice are macro ethics
- Informed consent is obtained after participation is involuntary
- Duties of dentists to the public include not disclosing the professional secrets of patients in public
- Informed consent is to protect the investigator’s interest and defend them against any liability.