Principlism Approach Efficacy in Dealing with Bioethical Dilemmas (Religion & Theology Essay)

Principlism Approach Efficacy in Dealing with Bioethical Dilemmas
The health care system is characteristic of emerging trends and challenges as influenced by the emergence of new diseases or alarming patterns such as rising cases of the same in society. The development of effective interventional measures for such situations may take different forms including biomedical research on the manifestation of the disease in human beings through appropriate tests and procedures. The delivery of quality health care is thus a comprehensive process that involves a wide range of operational activities across different disciplines within the healthcare profession. Attaining and maintaining such an outcome further calls for adherence to the set code of conduct across the profession while also complying with the acceptable ways of doing things and perceptions of the same as dictated by society. In essence, the actions and processes carried out by health care professionals during the delivery of the different care services is guided by equally unique principles informed by both the professional code of conduct and the accepted moral principles in society. Such an intersection, however, is bound to raise conflicts over what is right or wrong from the two point of views concerning given health care issues, matters, or situations. The biomedical sector within the health care profession is characteristic of such moral dilemmas, which require the adoption of strategic approaches to address such situations. The Four Principles approach, also referred to as Principlism, make for one of the moral frameworks developed by Beauchamp and Childress in the effort address such bioethical dilemmas. Provided herein is a comprehensive overview of the moral framework towards determining its efficacy in dealing with bioethical dilemmas.
Principlism Moral Framework
The four-principle approach or principlism is moral framework developed by Beauchamp and Childress in the effort to address ethical dilemmas in biomedicine, which is a vital constituent of the health care system. It forms around four moral principles that function to help in dealing with moral dilemmas within the discipline and profession as a whole. The four moral principles include respect for autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence.[BIBLIOGRAPHY Beauchamp, T. & Childress, J. Principles of Biomedical Ethics Seventh Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.] [Ibid]
* Respect for Autonomy
Respect for autonomy calls for recognizing and appreciating a patient’s capacity to think, make a decision, and take action based on the thoughts and decisions made by such an individual without any hindrances or influence from the care provider. In essence, the principle builds around respecting a patient’s freedom to make independent choices and decisions regarding their preference for a particular treatment or procedure. The principle posits that the care providers or professionals should respect such wishes as informed by the patient’s decision made freely and independent of any hindrances by the former or other agents.[Ibid]
* Non-maleficence
The principle of non-maleficence impresses on the duty or obligation of abstaining from inflicting harm to other people. I...