BIOETHICS

By Dr to edit Master Kikule Click Ekiria subtitle style

Bachelor of Community Health, Uganda Christian University

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What is Bioethics?

Bios Greek for life Ethos Greek for behaviour Was first coined in 1927 A discipline linking the scientific use of animals and plants with human values
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Nazi experiments during World War II used human subjects attracted public outcry 1960s - bioethics as known today emerged as an academic interdisciplinary field in Anglophone societies. Technological advances in areas as organ transplantation, end-of-life care, kidney dialysis and respirators posed complex questions regarding when/how care might be withdrawn
3/2/13 By 1970s 33 - bioethical think tanks and academic

Bioethics is about:
1. Understanding = Analyzing issues, Identifying
Options

1. Acting = Choosing the best option, all things

considered

Diagnostic Questions For Best Option;

Is it good? Is it right? Is it justifiable?

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Purpose & Scope of Bioethics

Addresses a broad spectrum of human inquiry:

Debates over the boundaries of life

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Abortion Euthanasia
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Principles of Bioethics (1)

1.

Human experimentation.
1974 The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical & Behavioural Research established

Commission tasked to identify the basic ethical principles that should underlie the 3/2/13 66 conduct of biomedical and behavioral

Principles of Bioethics (3)

2.

1979 The Belmont Report announced the following Principles:

i. ii. iii. iv. v.

Autonomy Beneficence Justice, Non-maleficence Human dignity

3.

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77 Discussion and presentation.

The Belmont Report

Ethical Principles
Respect for Persons Beneficence

Applications
Informed Consent Assessment of Risks and Benefits Fairness in Selection of Subjects
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Justice

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Bioethics assists the health care and research community in examining moral issues involved in our understanding of life and death, and resolving ethical dilemmas in medicine and science
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Informed Consent: Concept 1.

Moral Sense: Autonomous authorization of ones participation in research; a morally effective authorization made by a person with a decision making capacity who has a substantial understanding of relevant information and who is free of controlling influences in making the decision.
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Informed Consent: Concept 2.

Socio-legal sense: A legally/institutionally effective authorization. The practices and conventions that make it socially or legally acceptable to use a person as a research subject.
It includes the rules, regulations, cultural and professional practices governing informed consent to research.
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Informed Consent: Concept 3. Questions:

Do the moral and socio-legal senses correspond in practice? Should they?

Faden & Beauchamp, A History of Informed Consent, 1986.

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Informed Consent: Study Volunteers Challenges:

Reading, reviewing the consent form (Language, Literacy, illiteracy) Comprehending the research study Understanding of risks involved in research study 3/2/13 Knowing what questions to ask
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Informed Consent: Study Personnel

Responsibilities: Avoiding undue influence /misrepresentation Making full disclosure of study aims Ensuring that study volunteers are able & competent to consent Designing and using assent documents for children
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Gaining and nurturing trust of study

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Benefits of Bioethics
1.

Sensitizes us to relevant issues Enables us to raise pertinent questions Sharpens our ability to generate effective solutions to problems and resolutions to daunting ethical dilemmas Increases our vigilance Prepares us to be influential as we make good moral decisions 3/2/13 1515

2.

3.

4.

5.

Making Good Moral Decisions

Making good moral decision depends on: Understanding the facts and context of the case

Self knowledge and cultural perception Knowledge of moral theories, principles and policies

A proper ethical orientation and judicious application of ethical principles, all things 3/2/13 1616

Medical Ethics

Medical ethics is the study of Moral Values and judgments as they apply to Medicine A scholarly discipline encompassing its practical application in clinical settings as well as work on its history, philosophy, theology, and sociology. Often overlap with Bioethics - the distinction is more a matter of style than professional consensus
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