Fifteen Ethical Principles in Bioethics
Fifteen Ethical Principles in Bioethics
One of the fifteen ethical principles in Bioethics is the principle of benefit and harm. Benefit, or beneficence, refers to acting in ways that benefit others while promoting their safety and well-being (Barrow et al., 2021). Examples of the benefit of a research study are potentially valuable information in medicine, an improved understanding of a medical condition, or the possibility of helping other people with the same condition. On the other hand, the principle of “harm” means to do no harm, or non-maleficence (Barrow et al., 2021). This is important in research because it means that research subjects will be kept free from harm and discomfort, and that they will be protected against abuse and exploitation.
In conducting a research using human subjects, researchers need to ensure that the principle of benefit and harm is upheld to the highest standards. One way this can be achieved is through the effort of researchers and clinicians to continually improve skills, knowledge, and training, in order to provide the best possible treatment and research methods that they can provide to patients and subjects (Ahluwalia, 2020). Additionally, researchers must consider the individual circumstances of the patients, and provide the best treatment for their well-being (Ahluwalia, 2020). Also, researchers can protect the beneficence and non-maleficence by partnering with bioethicists and investigators prior to research approval (Lapid et al., 2021). Furthermore, members of institutional review boards should devise study protocols that balance the needs of biomedical research and the need to preserve the rights of research participants (Lapid et al., 2021). At times, beneficence may conflict with the other principles in bioethics. For instance, what the clinician knows is best for the patient may be against what the patient wishes to do, according to their autonomy. In such cases, institutional review boards and ethics professionals should work in collaboration with clinicians and patients in order to find a solution.
