Ethics & Morality in the Health Professions Essay

Ethics & Morality in the Health Professions - Essay Example Such situations are termed as â€Å"ethical dilemmas†. The ethical principles guide the doctor or any health professional in moving forward in his act of decision-making in a more virtuous manner which is best in the interest of the patient. Moreover, the code of ethics is also designed to describe restriction of the health professionals which are applicable at a certain point of their medical practice. The main objective of every physician should be providing their patients with the best of medical help and cause no harm to their health. One significant ethical issue is the freedom of choice that is given to the patients which is termed as autonomy. The autonomy literally means self-governance which is explained as the right of the patients to choose what is best for them after they have been clarified about the harms and benefits related to any medical procedure. The term informed consent elaborates this notion. It describes the act of deciding for oneself after acknowledgin g all the relevant information. However, there are certain conditions where the person might not act in this manner. These cases include the lack of adequate understanding and education of the person or if the information is concealed from that person. Although the right of autonomy is recognized widely and every measure is taken to provide this privilege to the patient but in some conditions the intervention of the health professional